The Interpretation of Line Profiles

Abstract

Observations of the shapes and intensities of spectral lines provide a bounty of information about the outer layers of the sun. In order to utilize this information, however, one is faced with a seemingly monumental task. The sun’s chromosphere and corona are extremely complex, and the underlying physical phenomena are far from being understood. Velocity fields, magnetic fields, Inhomogeneous structure, hydromagnetic phenomena – these are some of the complications that must be faced. Other uncertainties involve the atomic physics upon which all of the deductions depend.