Detailed measurements have been made of the profile of the line HeI 4471 Å in a new type shock tube for electron densities in the range of 0.1 to 2 10
16cm
-3. The electron density in the plasma was found from the broadening of H
β, and Mach-Zehnder, interferometer, while the temperature was determined from the ratio of the intensity of HeI 5876 Å to that of He II 4686 Å.
The measured profiles are compared with two calculations based on the quasi-static approximation and non-adiabatic ion dynamic broadening to account for the perturbing ions. The relative intensities and the shapes of the allowed and forbidden components are in agreement with computed profile.
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