Gaseous Helium at 300 K and pressure (0.1–3) MPa was
excited using a corona discharge both for negative and positive high
voltages. The light emitted from the ionization zone of the discharge was
analyzed. Asymmetric shape of atomic lines 706 nm and 728 nm was recorded.
Blue wings of the lines are more intensive than their red wings. The line
shape is described as a convolution of Lorentz profile of the line center
and a quasi-statistical profile of a blue wing of the line. Such analysis
predicts no heating of the gas in the ionization zone for positive corona
and considerable heating for negative corona.