Measurement of the profile of solar He I resonance lines

The analysis of data obtained by a rocket-borne helium-filled spectrometer employing a curve-of-growth technique in 1977 and 1980 is used in an investigation of the 584-A helium resonance line from the full solar disk. Between 6.5 and 13% of the Gaussian core area was found to be missing through self-reversal. Line widths from 1980 and 1977 were 101 + or - 10 mA and 128 + or - 20 mA full width at half maximum, respectively. No consistent relationship is found between the measured widths and solar activity.