Effect of configuration interaction on shift widths and intensity redistribution of transition arrays

Opacity calculations are generally restricted to single configurations approximation with no configuration interaction (CI). The theory for the inclusion of the CI effect on intensity distribution on transition arrays has recently been developed and added to the supertransition array model. However, in an experiment performed recently at NRL, presented in this work, it became apparent that the global shift and width of transition arrays, due to the CI effect, are significant and must be included in the calculations. This feature was also noticed in an LLNL experiment published recently on iron plasma. In these cases the dominant arrays originate from {Delta}n=0 transitions where this effect is particularly significant. In this work we extend the theory, bypassing the impractical need for matrix diagonalizations, and derive analytic expressions for the CI-corrected array moments including CI shifts, widths, and the adjusted intensity distribution. Examples are presented comparing the theoretical results with detailed calculations and with the experiments. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}