From work on the 2S-2P1/2 transition of atomic ⁷Li, perturbed by noble gases, and use of the photon-echo technique, the first measurement of a "total" atomic-radiator-perturber scattering cross section is reported. The phase-changing, inelastic, and velocity-changing aspects of collisions contribute to this cross section, which is significantly larger than the corresponding pressure-broadening cross section. Typical velocity changes are found to be roughly one percent of the mean thermal speed.
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Kachru et al. (1981) studied this question.