The influence of reflection of light quanta from the boundary of an absorbing medium on the effectiveness of resonance-radiation capture

Abstract The influence of reflection of light quanta on the lifetime of excited states has been investigated. From the point of view of the theory of resonance-radiation capture, the reflection of light formally corresponds to enlargement of the geometrical dimensions of the absorbing or emitting medium. These features are more pronounced for a line with Lorentzian than with Doppler contour.