The radiative transfer of impact broadened spectral lines emitted by an argon plasma described by the local thermodynamic equilibrium appproximation

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Abstract
Plasma composition calculations in the local thermodynamic equilibrium approximation are carried out for an argon plasma at high densities. These calculations are then applied to the consideration of the radiative transfer in a homogeneous plasma of spectral lines broadened alternatively by the thermal Doppler effect or the Stark effect produced by electron impacts. In particular the results are contrasted for lines emitted by ionized species and it is shown that the nature of impact broadening sets an absolute upper limit to the optical depth which can be achieved for a given path length and transition, regardless of plasma conditions. Under certain conditions this consequence of impact broadening also results in the peak height of an optically thin line emitted by an ion being of interest for determinations of the plasma temperature.