Hyperfine structure in stellar spectral lines: a little nothing, a help, or a troublemaker?

Hyperfine structure is common in spectral lines. Hfs splits lines due to nuclear moments and shifts lines of different isotopes (IS). Both effects, even if they are small compared with the line- and instrumental-width, broaden and shift the lines and alter their shape and may lead to erroneous interpretations of spectra of astrophysical interest. The IS permits in principle the observation of isotope abundances (e.g. for H-D) but - if unresolved - shifts lines particularly if intensities are strongly affected by absorption (a fake Doppler shift, especially of interstellar lines). The hfs-splitting and its influence on spectral-lines is investigated with a momentum analysis of the hfs and the line-profile, and of the convolved curve. It is found that the hfs can be misinterpretated as Doppler broadening. In optically dense media (e.g. in stellar interior) hfs and IS may decrease the average transparency. Scaling laws for hfs and IS are given.