Rayleigh Scattering by Helium in Stellar Atmospheres

We study the influence of Rayleigh scattering by helium on synthetic spectra and stellar atmosphere models. Rayleigh scattering by helium is often neglected in hot star atmosphere models. This approximation is justified by the small population of helium in stars with solar composition (about 10% by number) and lower Rayleigh scattering total cross section of helium with respect to neutral hydrogen. However, for stars with large helium abundances Rayleigh scattering by helium can be a significant opacity source.