Handling the asymmetric spectral line profile

Abstract

This paper discusses some features of the spectral line profile theory used in the treatment of measured atomic transitions. It is shown that going beyond the established linear approximation for the spectral line contour in the case of its nonresonant extension, the potential for a more accurate extraction of atomic characteristics from experimental data arises. Using the example of the Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly$_\alpha$) transition in hydrogen, a simple analysis of the observed spectral line distorted by a possible interfering transitions is given. In particular, the results obtained in the present work clearly demonstrate that the processing of the same experimental data at different settings can provide an accurate determination of the transition frequency, the centre of gravity as well as the hyperfine splitting of the ground state in hydrogen-like atomic systems. The latter is especially important for setting up precision spectroscopic experiments on the antihydrogen atom.