1. Elementary Processes Giving Rise to Spectra.- 1.1 Cross Sections.- 1.2 Populations of Atomic Levels in a Plasma; Rates of Direct and Reverse Processes.- 2. Theory of Atomic Collisions.- 2.1 Fundamentals of Scattering Theory.- 2.2 Theory of Electron-Atom Collisions.- 2.3 First-Order Approximation.- 3. Approximate Methods for Calculating Cross Sections.- 3.1 Born Approximation.- 3.2 Some Refinements of the Born Approximation.- 3.3 More Accurate Methods of Calculation of Excitation Cross Sections.- 3.4 Excitation of Highly Charged Atoms.- 3.5 Transitions Between Highly Excited Levels.- 4. Collisions Between Heavy Particles.- 4.1 Impact-Parameter Method.- 4.2 Transitions Caused by a Multipole Interaction.- 4.3 Charge Exchange.- 5. Some Problems of Excitation Kinetics.- 5.1 Rate Coefficients for Elementary Proccesses in a Plasma. Approximation of Cross Sections and Rate Coefficients by Analytic Formulas.- 5.2 Dielectronic Recombination.- 5.3 Satellites of Resonance Lines in Spectra of Highly Charged Atoms.- 5.4 Populations of Excited Levels in a Plasma.- 6. Tables and Formulas for the Estimation of Effective Cross Sections.- 6.1 Tables of Numerical Results.- 6.2 Formulas Defining the Angular Factors.- 7. Broadening of Spectral Lines.- 7.1 Model of a Classical Oscillator.- 7.2 General Theory of Impact Broadening.- 7.3 Broadening of Lines of the Hydrogen Spectrum in a Plasma.- 7.4 Line Broadening of Nonhydrogenlike Spectra in a Plasma.- 7.5 Broadening by Uncharged Particles.- 7.6 Spectroscopic Methods of Investigating Elastic Scattering of Slow Electrons.- References.- List of Symbols.

Excitation of Atoms and Broadening of Spectral Lines povides a survey of elementary processes and mechanisms. It presents useful and relatively simple methods of approximation for calculating effective cross sections, giving a number of approximate formulas. Extensive tables list cross sections and rate coefficients for various atoms and elementary processes. The tables of cross sections were recalculated using an updated version of the computer code ATOM. Some material reflecting the recent progress in the field has been added to this new printing.