NOVEL STRUCTURE IN THE H-ALPHA-LINE PROFILE OF HYDROGEN IN A DENSE HELIUM PLASMA

Detailed experimental studies of the profile of the H-alpha line emitt ed by hydrogen atoms in dense helium plasmas revealed a structure on t he blue wing. It appears as a dip and was observable only for special plasma conditions. The position did not vary with the electron density , which was determined independently by Thomson scattering. It is sugg ested that the feature is caused by the crossing of terms of a two-cen ter quantum system consisting of the radiating hydrogen atom and a per turbing fully ionized atom of different nuclear charge.