Line shapes of atomic hydrogen in a plane-cathode abnormal glow discharge

Hydrogen Balmer lines were observed in the plasma of a plane-cathode abnormal glow discharge in mixtures of argon or neon with hydrogen and in pure hydrogen. Intense spectral-line wing development was detected whenever argon was present in the plasma. This effect is related to the formation of H₂⁺ ions in a charge-transfer reaction between metastable Ar⁺ and H₂ molecules.