Atomic coherences and level-crossings physics

A synthesis work about the interaction of matter with polarized radiation, applied to solar magnetic field diagnostics, has recently been done by Stenflo (1994). This synthesis uses the classical theory of matter-radiation interaction - supplemented by the theory of partial redistribution of Omont, Smith, and Cooper (1972), on the one hand, and full quantum matter-radiation interaction theory, unable to take into account the partial frequency redistribution effects, on the other hand. The need of a full quantum approach taking into account the partial frequency redistribution effects appears as a unifying purpose; the present work, using the density matrix formalism, is a first attempt in this direction.