STARK BROADENING IN ASTROPHYSICS (APPLICATIONS OF BELGRADE SCHOOL RESULTS AND COLLABORATION WITH FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS)

Stark broadening mechanism for spectral line broadening in astrophysical plasmas is considered and analysed. This line-broadening mechanism is of interest for example for the research on white dwarfs and hot stars of B and A type, for the determination of chemical abundances of elements from equivalent widths of absorption lines, for the estimation of the radiative transfer through the stellar plasmas, especially in subphotospheric layers, and for opacity calculations. Stark broadening is also of significance for research on neutron stars, for investigation of radio recombination lines from molecular and ionised hydrogen clouds, for radiative acceleration considerations, for nucleosynthesis research and for other astrophysical topics. Also, the results of a Stark broadening study in Serbia relevant to astrophysical problems have been reviewed and discussed. Particular attention has been paid to the modified semiempirical method as well as to the use in astrophysics of results and achievements in Stark broadening research of the Belgrade school. The existing collaboration with scientists from former Soviet republics and the results of Serbian scientists in this field applied by our colleagues in their research are considered.