The shifting and splitting of spectral lines when atoms are subjected to external electric fields. In astronomy, this effect is observed in the dense atmospheres of white dwarf stars and helps determine their surface gravity and electric field strength.
Named after German physicist Johannes Stark, who discovered this phenomenon in 1913 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1919. The effect demonstrated how electric fields could alter atomic energy levels, complementing the Zeeman effect for magnetic fields.
The Stark effect is like the Zeeman effect's electric cousin, but it's much harder to observe in space because strong electric fields are rare in the cosmos! When we do see it in white dwarf atmospheres, it tells us these stellar remnants have surface gravities hundreds of thousands of times stronger than Earth's.
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