Interpretation of solar polarization spectra accounting for partial or
complete frequency redistribution requires data on various collisional
processes. Data for depolarization and polarization transfer are needed but
often missing, while data for collisional broadening are usually more readily
available. Recent work by Sahal-Br\'echot and Bommier concluded that despite
underlying similarities in the physics of collisional broadening and
depolarization processes, relationships between them are not possible to derive
purely analytically.
We aim to derive accurate numerical relationships between the collisional
broadening rates and the collisional depolarization and polarization transfer
rates due to hydrogen atom collisions. Such relationships would enable accurate
and efficient estimation of collisional data for solar applications.
Using earlier results for broadening and depolarization processes based on
general (i.e. not specific to a given atom), semi-classical calculations
employing interaction potentials from perturbation theory, genetic programming
(GP) has been used to fit the available data and generate analytical functions
describing the relationships between them. The predicted relationships from the
GP-based model are compared with the original data to estimate the accuracy of
the method.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic