The Mean Number of Scatterings by a Resonance-Line Photon.
Abstract
A rigorous upper bound to the mean number of scatterings (N) experienced by a resonance-line photon is obtained very simply. For completely non-coherent scattering this bound provides a good estimate of (N) and explicit expressions are obtained for the cases of Doppler, Voigt, and Lorentz absorption coefficients. These results are contrasted with those of Osterbrock (1962) and are interpreted in terms of the concept of effective band width.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- July 1964
- DOI:
- 10.1086/147914
- Bibcode:
- 1964ApJ...140..276H