A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF METHODS OF INTERPRETING RADIO-LINE DATA FROM H II REGIONS.

The best form of analysis of data on radio recombination lines from H II regions is shown to require inclusion of both non-LTE effects and highly concentrated clumping. The principal physical effect of clumping is to reduce considerably the line enhancements predicted by the non-LTE theory. Theoretically , all radio recombination lines emitted by the same mass of ionized gas should, within the error limits, be interpretable in terms of a single electron temperature.