Plasma Screening Effects in Stark Broadening: A Fully Relativistic Close-Coupling Approach

TL;DR

This paper presents a fully relativistic quantum-mechanical approach to Stark broadening in plasmas, incorporating plasma screening effects and advancing the understanding of spectral line broadening in dense plasma environments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel close-coupling theory for electron-ion collisions that includes plasma screening, enabling more accurate modeling of Stark broadening in high-density plasmas.

Findings

Identified distinct line broadening patterns dependent on plasma conditions.

Provided a quantum-mechanical interpretation of the semi-classical screening factor.

Established a foundation for studying complex atomic systems in dense plasmas.

Abstract

Stark broadening of spectral lines in plasmas is a cornerstone of opacity modeling and plasma diagnostics, with critical implications for controlled fusion and astrophysics. Despite recent advances in fully quantum-mechanical close-coupling calculations for electron-impact broadening, the impact of denser plasma environments remains largely unexplored due to theoretical bottlenecks associated with electron-ion collision processes. Based on our newly developed close-coupling theory for electron-ion collisions in plasmas, which resolves the problem of extracting short-range scattering phase shifts, we introduce a fully relativistic close-coupling approach for the Stark broadening that incorporates plasma screening effects. Systematic investigations of hydrogenic radiators reveal distinct patterns of line broadening dependence on plasma conditions, offering valuable insights for plasma diagnostic applications. Furthermore, we provide a quantum-mechanical interpretation of the screening factor commonly introduced in semi-classical impact theories. This work establishes a robust foundation for future studies on complex atomic systems in high-density plasmas.