Doppler Components Research Articles

The distribution of intensity in a positive ray spectral line

In studying the intensity distribution in a spectral line emitted by positive rays, a line structure was found which is not familiar in ordinary discharge tube spectra. This structure would not appear under the low resolving powers necessitated by the extreme faintness of the light emitted in most investigations of Stark and Doppler effects in positive rays. The technique required to make possible the study of structure in such faint lines is discussed in detail. The explanation of the structure in terms of Doppler and Stark components is compared with the theory of broadened lines in ordinary discharge tube spectra.