An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A widening of → spectral lines due to any of several factors, including the → Doppler broadening, → instrumental broadening, → microturbulence, → pressure broadening, → rotational broadening, the → Stark effect, and the → Zeeman effect.

→ line; → broadening.

The broadening of any spectral line due to the fact that excited levels have mean lives, which, by virtue of the uncertainty principle, implies a spread in the energy values.

→ natural; → line; → broadening.