The Continuous Absorption of Light by Negative Hydrogen Ions.

In view of the possible importance of negative hydrogen ions in absorbing long- wave-length radiation in stellar atmospheres, it is desirable that a reliable theory of the continuous absorption by such ions be available. Such a theory is provided in this paper, and the resulting calculated values of the absorption coefficient in the wave- length region of astrophysical importance are shown to be accurate. This is made pos- sible, on the one hand, by the existence of the accurate wave function for the ground state of H due to Hylleraas and, on the other, to a detailed analysis of the factors de- termining the form of the continuous wave function representing the state of the system in which one electron is ejected. The effects of distortion of the wave representing this electron by the static and polarized atomic field, of electron exchange, and of the non- separability of the wave function are all considered in detail and are found, for the par- ticular case of H-, to be incapable of affecting the calculated values