Calculation of Resonance Broadening

Abstract

The line-shape function is expressed in terms of three boundary functions related to the two-particle Green's function. The transverse as well as the longitudinal interaction among atoms is considered, using the photon propagator approach. The broadening of one of the radiative states through the resonance interaction with the ground state is considered in detail. The contributions of multiple transfer of excitation and of two-body scattering are calculated separately. Several validity conditions are also obtained which clarify the approximations in the existing results. The velocity dependence of the width parameter is investigated in some detail; our results differ considerably from the existing results because we have included higher-order contributions. The extreme low-density region [where (collision width) ∼ (natural width)] is also considered; the linewidth is found to be nonlinear in the number density. The additional contribution of the coupling between the radiative states is also calculated in a special case.