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Definition
In the hydrogen atom, the Lyman series of lines is emitted or absorbed during transitions between an excited state and the fundamental (ground) state. Lyman alpha is the first of these lines and connects the electronic levels n = 2 and n = 1, where n is the principal quantum number. Most of stellar matter is hydrogen, hence Lyman alpha is a very prominent line in stellar spectra. At a wavelength of 121.5 nm, Lyman alpha photons are in the VUV (vacuum ultraviolet) domain and play an important role in the dissociation of interstellar or cometary molecules.
History
These lines were discovered in 1906 by the American physicist Theodore Lyman.
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Despois, D. (2011). Lyman Alpha. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1885
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1885
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-11271-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-11274-4
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