Influence of excitation processes on the shape of argon and neon lines

Shapes of self-broadened argon lines 687.1 nm (4d(5)-2p(10)), 703.0 nm (3s( 5)-2p(9)), 750.3 nm (2p(1)-1s(2)) as well as the neon line 748.8 nm (3d(3)- 2p(10)) emitted from glow discharges at low pressures were analysed using a Fabry-Perot interferometer. We showed that the dissociative recombination of Ar-2(+) (or Ne-2(+)) molecular ions which gives rise to the density of n on-thermalized atoms, may be regarded as the main process responsible for t he distortion of the profiles of the above lines. The distorted profiles we re analysed as superposition of the Ballik profile for thermalized atoms an d the modified Ballik profile for non-thermalized atoms. The Lorentzian and Gaussian widths as well as relative densities of non-thermalized and therm alized atoms were determined.