Slit Function Effects in the Direct Measurement of Absorption Line Half-Widths and Intensities

The distortion of spectral lines by the finite band pass of spectrometers is an effect which must be considered in measuring line shape parameters. The differences between actual line half-widths and line intensities and those which would be obtained directly from measurements by spectrometers with Gauss and Cauchy shaped slit functions have been calculated for Lorentz and Doppler lines of varying widths and intensities. A method of utilizing these results to correct actual measurements is developed.