Collisional broadening and shift of the rubidium D-1 and D-2 lines (5(2)S(1/2)->5(2)P(1/2), 5(2)P(3/2)) by rare gases, H-2, D-2, N-2, CH4 and CF4

The collision induced broadening and line shifts for the Rb D-1 (5(2)P(1/2)-5(2)S(1/2)) and D-2 (5(2)P(3/2)-5(2)S(1/2)) transitions at low buffer gas pressure (0-300 torr) and T = 394 K were obtained from high resolution laser absorption spectra. The shifts, delta, and broadening, gamma(L) for H-2, D-2, N-2, CH4 and CF4 are in MHz per torr delta(5(2)P(1/2)) = -2.17, -2.22, -7.41, -7.92, -5.41; delta(5(2)P(3/2)) = -3.83, -4.09, -5.79, -7.0, -5.73; gamma(L)(5(2)P(1/2)) = 17.3, 14.1, 16.3, 29.1, 18.7; gamma(L)(5(2)P(3/2)) = 26.4, 20.6, 18.3, 26.2, 17.3, respectively. Similar results are reported for rare gas collision partners. These values have been further interpreted using the impact approximation for collisional broadening to obtain the parameters for the Leonard Jones interaction potentials, The rates for pressure broadening are clearly correlated with polarizability of the collision partner.