Abstract
An argon wall-stabilized arc operating at an axial temperature of 13800K and electron density of 2.1*1023 m-3 has been used to study the Stark-broadened wings of Lyman- alpha at wavelength separations from the line centre hitherto unexamined. Absolute calibration techniques using black-body-limited lines and hydrogen concentration measurements using HB have been applied. Comparison has been made of the experimental profiles with the theories of Kepple and Griem (1968) and Vidal et al. (1973). Satisfactory agreement is obtained with the latter theory, apart from considerable asymmetry which is observed to extend over the whole of the measured profile. Two satellite features have been observed in the red wing at 3.7 and 19 nm from the line centre and these are attributed to an argon-ion quasi-molecular perturbation.