Effect of configuration interaction on shift widths and intensity redistribution of transition arrays

Opacity calculations are generally restricted to single configurations appr oximation with no configuration interaction (CI). The theory for the inclus ion of the CI effect on intensity distribution on transition arrays has rec ently been developed and added to the supertransition array model. However, in an experiment performed recently at NRL, presented in this work, it bec ame apparent that the global shift and width of transition arrays, due to t he CI effect, are significant and must be included in the calculations. Thi s feature was also noticed in an LLNL experiment published recently on iron plasma. In these cases the dominant arrays originate from Delta n = 0 tran sitions where this effect is particularly significant. In this work we exte nd the theory, bypassing the impractical need for matrix diagonalizations, and derive analytic expressions for the CI-corrected array moments includin g CI shifts, widths, and the adjusted intensity distribution. Examples art: presented comparing the theoretical results with detailed calculations and with the experiments. [S1063-651X(99)01303-2].