SIMBAD references

Using a Monte Carlo technique, we investigate the centre shifts that are expected to occur for the broad Hα wings and the HeIIλ6545 feature as a function of the neutral hydrogen column density in symbiotic stars. These two features are proposed to be formed via Raman scattering of ultraviolet (UV) continuum around the Lyβ and He IIλ1025 emission line by neutral hydrogen. The strengths of these two features are determined by a combination of various physical parameters including the covering factor and the neutral hydrogen column density (N_HI) of the scattering region. The branching ratio of Raman scattering to Rayleigh scattering for UV radiation around Lyβ is a non-linearly increasing function of the wavelength, which results in enhanced Raman optical fluxes redward of the Hα line centre as N_HIincreases. However, we find that the amount of wing centre shift is quite small about 20 km/s as N_HIincreases from 10²⁰ to 10²¹/cm2. Assuming that He IIλ1025 emission is characterized by a Gaussian profile, the Raman-scattered HeII 6545 feature exhibits near Gaussian profiles with the peak shifted redward for N_HI< 10²²/cm2. The redward centre shift amounts to 1 Å for N_HI∼ 10²⁰/cm2 and decreases as N_HIincreases up to N_HI∼ 10²²/cm2, above which no centre shift is observed. The redward peak shift is due to the fact that the incident emission profile is symmetric with respect to the HeIIλ1025 line centre whereas the Raman conversion rate is increasing towards the line centre of Lyβ. We emphasize that the determination of N_HIby locating the exact peak position of the HeII 6545 feature will lift the degeneracy to allow a more accurate estimate of the covering factor of the neutral region, providing strong constraints on the mass-loss process occurring in symbiotic stars.