Blue wing of the 2p-1s He_2_ line

At wavelengths inaccessible for direct observation, we rely on theoretical calculations of self-broadening to support stellar structure and spectral modeling. In this work, we examine lines of He due to 1s-2p and 2p-3s transitions.

The line profiles are analyzed in terms of a unified theory of spectral line broadening using ab initio potential energies that have been recently determined. For temperatures up to 20000K, the linear dependence of width and shift on gas density and the non-linear dependence on temperature of the Lorentzian core of the resonance line are described. Beyond the conventional symmetrical Lorentzian core, we show that they are asymmetrical and have significant additional contributions on the short wavelength side.