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The MERLIN mission (MEthane Remote LIdar missioN) is a space mission dedicated to the methane atmospheric retrieval based on absorption LIDAR measurements at nadir. The methane columns will be obtained by difference between the LIDAR signal at the on-line wavelength corresponding to the R(6) manifold of the 2ν3 band of methane at 6077 cm−1 and the off-line signal at a wavenumber about 1 cm−1 below. As atmospheric water vapor lines may affect the methane retrievals, the present study is dedicated to a detailed laboratory characterization of the interfering water vapor absorption in the targeted region. To this aim, high sensitivity absorption spectra of pure water vapor and water vapor in air are recorded at room temperature using a cavity ring down spectrometer (CRDS) combined with a self-referenced frequency comb. The CRDS recordings cover the 6071.4–6080.0 cm−1 interval with a noise equivalent absorption, αmin, on the order of 5 × 10−11 cm−1 for a 10−3 cm−1 sampling of the spectra. The measured pure and air-broadened spectra are analyzed using the Nelkin-Ghatak (NG) or the speed-dependent Nelkin-Ghatak (sdNG) profile. A multi-spectrum fitting procedure in which series of spectra recorded at different pressures (between 0.7 and 12 Torr for pure water vapor and between 100 and 700 Torr for H2O in air) are simultaneously adjusted, is used to retrieve the spectroscopic parameters. Accurate line parameters including self- and air-pressure shifts, self- and air-broadenings, Dicke narrowing and the speed-dependent coefficients are determined for most of the lines with intensity larger than 10−28 cm/molecule at 296 K. The list is complemented with literature data (in particular from the HITRAN database) to be complete down to a 10−29 cm/molecule intensity cut-off. The obtained spectroscopic results are discussed in comparison with literature data.

The very weak absorption spectrum of natural CO2 near 1.74 µm (5702–5879 cm−1) is studied at high sensitivity. The investigated region corresponds to a transparency window of very weak opacity which is of particular interest for Venus. Very weak lines with intensity value as low as 10−30 cm/molecule at 296 K are detected by Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy. On the basis of the predictions of effective Hamiltonian models, 1135 lines of six carbon dioxide isotopologues - 12C16O2, 13C16O2, 16O12C18O, 16O12C17O, 16O13C18O and 16O13C17O - were rovibrationnally assigned to 26 bands. The accurate spectroscopic parameters of 16 bands are determined from standard band-by-band analysis (typical rms deviations of the line positions are 8 × 10−4 cm−1). These newly observed bands include perturbed bands, weak hot bands and bands of minor isotopologues (in particular 16O12C18O in natural abundance) and provide critical validation tests for the most recent spectroscopic databases. The comparison to the Carbon Dioxide Spectroscopic Databank (CDSD), HITRAN2016 database and recent ab initio line lists is presented. Deficiencies are evidenced for some weak perpendicular bands of the HITRAN2016 list and identified as due to inaccurate CDSD intensities which were preferred to ab initio intensities. While Ames and UCL ab initio intensities are believed to be accurate within a few % for the strong unperturbed bands, the reported measurements allow testing important (>50%) differences between ab initio values of some weak perturbed bands.

Various spectroscopic data for absorption lines due to the magnetic dipole transitions of the a 1 Δ g − X 3 Σ g − ( 0 − 0 ) band of O2 centered at 1.27 µm are tested by comparison with high-resolution ground-based atmospheric measurements recorded by Fourier Transform Spectrometers at Park Falls and Caltech (USA). This band is of importance for atmospheric remote sensing since it will be used (together with the O2 A-band near 760 nm) by the passive short wave infrared spectrometer onboard the MicroCarb satellite mission (i.e. this band includes the B4 band of MicroCarb, from about 7800 cm−1 to 7912 cm−1) for the determination of surface pressure and atmospheric aerosols. Spectroscopic data of the HITRAN2016 and GEISA2015 databases as well as those from recent laboratory studies are here used in a radiative transfer code to simulate atmospheric transmissions under the conditions of the measurements. Comparisons are made for different solar zenith angles and for the whole B4 spectral range considered by MicroCarb. Spectroscopic data of water vapor are also tested by considering both relatively dry and humid atmospheric conditions. Averaging the “calculated-observed” residuals over numerous recordings made for close values of the solar zenith angle and humidity enables reduction of the uncertainties due to the radiometric noise of the instrument and to the imperfect description of the atmospheric state. This enables the detection of systematic differences in the spectral residuals caused by small changes in spectroscopic data. The results show that the spectroscopic parameters in the HITRAN2016 and GEISA2015 databases lead to large residuals while data of two recent laboratory studies, obtained from spectra measured with the cavity ring-down spectroscopy technique using the speed-dependent Nelkin-Ghatak profile lead to much better agreement with atmospheric measurements. Significant residuals are noted for water vapor absorption lines simulated using parameters provided by both the HITRAN and GEISA databases.

Spectroscopic catalogues, such as GEISA and HITRAN, do not yet include information on the water vapour continuum that pervades visible, infrared and microwave spectral regions. This is partly because, in some spectral regions, there are rather few laboratory measurements in conditions close to those in the Earth’s atmosphere; hence understanding of the characteristics of the continuum absorption is still emerging. This is particularly so in the near-infrared and visible, where there has been renewed interest and activity in recent years. In this paper we present a critical review focusing on recent laboratory measurements in two near-infrared window regions (centred on 4700 and 6300cm−1) and include reference to the window centred on 2600cm−1 where more measurements have been reported. The rather few available measurements, have used Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS), cavity ring down spectroscopy, optical-feedback – cavity enhanced laser spectroscopy and, in very narrow regions, calorimetric interferometry. These systems have different advantages and disadvantages. Fourier Transform Spectroscopy can measure the continuum across both these and neighbouring windows; by contrast, the cavity laser techniques are limited to fewer wavenumbers, but have a much higher inherent sensitivity. The available results present a diverse view of the characteristics of continuum absorption, with differences in continuum strength exceeding a factor of 10 in the cores of these windows. In individual windows, the temperature dependence of the water vapour self-continuum differs significantly in the few sets of measurements that allow an analysis. The available data also indicate that the temperature dependence differs significantly between different near-infrared windows. These pioneering measurements provide an impetus for further measurements. Improvements and/or extensions in existing techniques would aid progress to a full characterisation of the continuum – as an example, we report pilot measurements of the water vapour self-continuum using a supercontinuum laser source coupled to an FTS. Such improvements, as well as additional measurements and analyses in other laboratories, would enable the inclusion of the water vapour continuum in future spectroscopic databases, and therefore allow for a more reliable forward modelling of the radiative properties of the atmosphere. It would also allow a more confident assessment of different theoretical descriptions of the underlying cause or causes of continuum absorption.

The line position of the very weak S(2) transition of deuterium in the 2–0 band has been measured with a Comb-Assisted Cavity Ring Down spectrometer. The high sensitivity spectra were recorded at 5 and 10 mbar with a Noise Equivalent Absorption, α min , of 8 × 10 –11 cm −1 . The line positions at 5 and 10 mbar were measured with sub-MHz accuracy (460 and 260 kHz, respectively). After correction of the line pressure-shift, the frequency at zero pressure of the S(2) transition of the first overtone band was determined to be 187 104 299.51 ± 0.50 MHz. This value agrees within 1.7 MHz with the frequency obtained from the best available ab initio calculations and corresponds to only 15% of the claimed theoretical uncertainty.

The room temperature absorption spectrum of water vapor highly enriched in 17O has been recorded by Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) between 5850 and 6671 cm−1. Two series of recordings were performed with pressure values of 1.0 and 12.0 Torr. The investigated spectral region corresponds to the important 1.55 μm transparency window of the atmosphere where water absorption is very weak. The high sensitivity of the recordings (αmin ~ 5×10−11 cm−1) allows detecting lines with intensity spanning six orders of magnitude (1.4×10−30–3.6×10−24 cm/molecule at room temperature). The experimental list includes more than 10,300 lines. The assignments of water lines were performed using known experimental energy levels as well as calculated line lists based on the results of Partridge and Schwenke. More than 8500 lines were assigned to 9619 transitions of six water isotopologues (H216O, H217O, H218O, HD16O, HD17O and HD18O). All but four transitions of the 16O and 18O isotopologues were assigned using known experimental energy levels. More than half of the assigned H217O and HD17O transitions correspond to new (or corrected) upper energy levels. About 1000 new H217O transitions associated with upper states of the second triad and of the first hexad were identified. Most of the newly assigned HD17O transitions belong to the ν1+ν3 and 2ν2+ν3 bands. The assigned transitions allowed to newly determine or correct 20 highly excited rotational levels of the vibrational ground state of this isotopologue. Overall 791 and 266 energy levels are newly determined for H217O and HD17O, respectively. A few additional levels were corrected compared to literature values. The obtained experimental results are compared to the spectroscopic parameters provided by the HITRAN database and to the empirical energy levels recommended by an IUPAC task group.

The absorption spectrum of the 13CH4 methane isotopologue has been recently recorded by Differential Absorption Spectroscopy (DAS) at 80 K in the 5853–6201 cm−1 spectral range. An empirical list of 3717 lines was constructed for this spectral range corresponding to the upper part of the Tetradecad dominated by the 2ν3 band near 5987 cm−1. In this work, we present rovibrational analyses of these spectra obtained via two theoretical approaches. Assignments of strong and medium lines were achieved with variational calculations using ab initio potential energy (PES) and dipole moment surfaces. For further analysis a non-empirical effective Hamiltonian (EH) of the methane polyads constructed by high-order Contact Transformations (CT) from an ab initio PES was employed. Initially predicted values of EH parameters were empirically optimized using 2898 assigned line positions fitted with an rms deviation of 5×10−3 cm−1. More than 1860 measured line intensities were modeled using the effective dipole transition moments approach with the rms deviation of about 10%. These new data were used for the simultaneous fit of the 13CH4 Hamiltonian parameters of the {Ground state/Dyad/Pentad/Octad/Tetradecad} system and the dipole moment parameters of the {Ground state-Tetradecad} system. Overall, 10 vibrational states and 28 vibration sublevels of the 13CH4 Tetradecad are determined. The comparison of their energy values with corresponding theoretical calculations is discussed.

The high-resolution absorption spectrum of acetylene has been recorded at room temperature by high sensitivity cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) in the 6627–7065 cm–1 region. The studied spectral range corresponds to a spectral interval of very weak absorption (an acetylene transparency window). The positions and intensities of more than 6500 lines are determined in the considered interval where previous intensity information was mostly missing. On the basis of previous studies and on effective Hamiltonian predictions, 3062 12C2H2, 462 12C13CH2 and 104 12C2HD absorption lines belonging to a total of 123 vibrational bands are assigned. For comparison, the HITRAN2016 database provides line parameters of only ten 12C2H2 bands in the same region. Spectroscopic parameters of 113 upper vibrational levels were derived from standard band-by-band fits of the line positions (typical rms values of the (obs.-calc.) deviations are better than 0.003 cm–1). Many bands are found to be affected by perturbations. The vibrational transition dipole moment squared and Herman-Wallis coefficients of 47 bands were derived from a fit of the measured intensity values. In order to generate a recommended line list in the region, the derived spectroscopic parameters and Herman-Wallis coefficients were used to compute the line parameters for these 47 bands while experimental position and intensity values were kept for the other bands. Overall, the obtained recommended list including a total of 5260 transitions will help to fill a spectral gap around 1.47 µm where very scarce spectroscopic information is provided in the current spectroscopic databases. When compared to the HITRAN list in the region, some important deviations concerning both line positions and line intensities are evidenced as a result of inaccurate high J extrapolations.

An accurate empirical list of 57,995 transitions is constructed for natural water in the 5690–8340 cm−1 near infrared region (1.76–1.20 µm). The new list represents an updated version of the list reported in Mikhailenko et al. (2016). The spectral range is extended to lower energy and the transition frequencies benefited from a series of recent measurements by comb-assisted cavity ring down spectroscopy (CA-CRDS). The line list construction uses as starting point the variational line lists computed on the basis of the results of Schwenke and Partridge for the six most abundant water isotopologues (H2 16O, H2 18O, H2 17O, HD16O, HD18O, HD17O). Variational line positions are replaced by position values calculated from empirical rotation-vibration energy levels. The set of required empirical energy levels is improved in accuracy and enlarged, in particular for the minor isotopologues. A large number of energy levels and thus transition frequencies, relying on spectra recorded by CA-CRDS, have accuracy on the order of 10−4 cm−1. All the transitions are provided with unique vibrational labeling supported by effective Hamiltonian calculations in case of ambiguity. A detailed comparison is presented with the list of natural water included in the HITRAN2016 database and with the very recent H2 16O and H2 18O lists reported in Conway et al. (2020). The advantage of our list in terms of line position accuracy is demonstrated and illustrated by direct comparison with CRDS recordings at disposal. Intensity comparison shows a general agreement but a number of weaknesses of the most recent intensity calculations are evidenced. All the considered theoretical line lists include a few bands (e.g. 4ν2, 5ν2, ν1+2ν2 and ν1+3ν2) with intensities deviating significantly from the observations. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd E.K. Conway (Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge and University College London) is acknowledged for providing us the submitted version of Ref. [44] together with the corresponding H216O and H218O lists, prior publication. The support of the University Grenoble Alpes and CNRS (France) in the frame of International Research Project SAMIA is acknowledged. SNM activity was also partly supported in the frame of the Russian Science Foundation, grant no. 18-11-00024.

A Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer has been developed for high sensitivity absorption spectroscopy in the near infrared at pressure up to 10 bar. In order to strictly avoid perturbations of the optical alignment by pressure forces, the pre-aligned CRDS cavity is inserted inside the high pressure cell. The stability of the spectra baseline has been validated by filling the CRDS cell with Ar and N2 up to 10 bar. We present here the first application of this CW-CRDS spectrometer to the study of the high pressure spectrum of CO2 at room temperature. The spectra were recorded between 5850 and 5960 cm−1 for a series of pressure values up to 6400 Torr. The studied spectral interval corresponds to the high energy range of the 1.75 µm transparency window of CO2 of particular interest for Venus. The CO2 absorption coefficient at a given pressure value was obtained as the increase of the CRDS loss rate from its value at zero pressure taking into account the small contribution due to Rayleigh scattering. The CO2 absorption spectrum includes the contribution of the self broadened local rovibrational lines together with a broad and weak continuum. The CO2 continuum was obtained as the difference of the CO2 absorption coefficient and of a local lines simulation using the CO2 HITRAN line list and a truncated Voigt profile. A quadratic pressure dependence of the absorption continuum was observed, with an average binary absorption coefficient increasing smoothly from 3.7 to 11.5×10−9 cm−1 amagat−2 between 5850 and 5960 cm−1. The derived continuum shows a spectral feature located in the region of a band of 16O12C18O (present in natural abundance) which dominates the spectrum in the region. This spectral feature was found to arise from collisional interferences between local lines and quantitatively accounted for using a theoretical approach based on the impact and Energy Corrected Sudden (ECS) approximations. The impact of the chosen far wings CO2 line shape model on the retrieved continuum absorption is discussed.

The absorption spectrum of water vapor in “natural” isotopic abundance has been recorded at room temperature by high sensitivity Continuous Wave Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CW-CRDS) between 7911 and 8337 cm −1 . The investigated region covers most of the 1.25 µm transparency window of importance for atmospheric applications. The recordings were performed with sensitivity on the order of α min ~2×10 –11 cm −1 , more than two orders of magnitude better than previous investigations by Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTS). Measured line intensities cover a range of seven orders of magnitude (3×10 –30 –2×10 –23 cm/molecule at room temperature). The experimental line list provided as Supplementary Material includes more than 5000 transitions. As a result of the achieved sensitivity, more than 1150 lines of the experimental list were identified as being due to ammonia present as an impurity at the 5 ppm concentration level in the water sample. Although incomplete, the obtained ammonia line list seems to be the first one in the region. More than 3193 water lines were assigned to 3560 transitions of five water isotopologues (H 2 16 O, H 2 18 O, H 2 17 O, HD 16 O and HD 18 O). The assignments were performed using known experimental energy levels and calculated spectra based on variational calculations by Schwenke and Partridge. The obtained results are compared to the most relevant previous studies by Fourier Transform Spectroscopy in the region and to the exhaustive review of rovibrational line positions and levels performed recently by an IUPAC sponsored task group. Two-hundred and sixty-six levels are newly determined and 46 are corrected by more than 0.015 cm −1 compared to those recommended by the water IUPAC task group. The overall agreement between variational and measured intensities is satisfactory. A complete empirical list of 4473 transitions incorporating all the experimental information at disposal was constructed for water in the studied region. The intensity cut-off was fixed to 1×10 –29 cm/molecule at 296 K. A detailed comparison with the line list as provided by the HITRAN database illustrates the advantages of the new list.

A cavity ring down spectrometer referenced to a frequency comb is used to study the profile of air-broadened O2 lines of the 1.27 µm band. To this aim, spectra of O2 in dry air and in N2 with 2% relative abundance of O2 were measured, in the 7720–7920 cm−1 and 7868–7887 cm-1 spectral ranges, respectively. Spectra were recorded at room temperature and various pressures ranging from 50 to 700 Torr. Detailed line-profile analysis is reported for 85 transitions using the speed-dependent Nelkin-Ghatak model and a multi-spectrum treatment of the two series of spectra. Line mixing was found necessary to be taken into account in the analysis of lines in the region of the Q branch. The derived line parameters including the broadening and shifting coefficients, the speed-dependence components of the collisional line broadening and shifting, as well as the Dicke narrowing parameter are discussed and compared to literature data. In particular, the speed-dependence components of the collisional broadening are found to agree satisfactorily with predictions obtained by molecular dynamic simulations. This obtained set of line-shape parameters should allow for improved modeling of atmospheric spectra in the 1.27 µm spectral region.

Three very weak bands of the 18O16O18O isotopologue of ozone have been detected by high sensitivity CW-Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy between 6340 and 6800 cm−1. They are vibrationally assigned as 2ν1+5ν3, ν1+4ν2+3ν3 and 3ν2+5ν3 and correspond to the highest frequency bands of this isotopologue detected so far. A total of 464, 318 and 194 transitions were rovibrationally assigned, respectively. The good agreement with theoretical values achieved for the derived band centres and rotational constants confirms the accuracy of the potential energy surface recently obtained via extensive ab initio calculations. A set of line intensities was measured and fitted to derive the first transition moment parameter of the three bands. The determined sets of effective Hamiltonian parameter and transition moment operators, as well as the experimental energy levels, were used to generate a complete list of 1526 transitions, provided as Supplementary materials . The calculated line-list allows generating a synthetic spectrum which reproduces satisfactorily the experimental spectrum.

The absorption spectrum of 13 CH 4 was recorded at two low temperatures in the icosad region near 1.38 µm, using direct absorption tunable diode lasers. Spectra were obtained using a cryogenic cell cooled at liquid nitrogen temperature (80 K) and a supersonic jet providing a 32 K rotational temperature in the 7173–7367 cm −1 and 7200–7354 cm −1 spectral intervals, respectively. Two lists of 4498 and 339 lines, including absolute line intensities, were constructed from the 80 K and jet spectra, respectively. All the transitions observed in jet conditions were observed at 80 K. From the temperature variation of their line intensities, the corresponding lower state energy values were determined. The 339 derived empirical values of the J rotational quantum number are found close to integer values and are all smaller than 4, as a consequence of the efficient rotational cooling. Six R (0) transitions have been identified providing key information on the origins of the vibrational bands which contribute to the very congested and not yet assigned 13 CH 4 spectrum in the considered region of the icosad.

The very weak absorption spectrum of the main isotopologue of nitrogen dioxide, 14N16O2, is investigated for the first time between 7760 and 7917 cm−1. The studied region corresponds to the highest energy range of the vibrational spectra of 14N16O2 investigated so far at high spectral resolution. The absorption spectra were recorded by very high sensitivity Continuous Wave-Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy with a noise equivalent absorption of αmin≈5×10−11 cm−1. The spectrum results from the superposition of the rovibrational transitions of the 2ν1+5ν2+ν3, 2ν1+ν2+3ν3 and 5ν1+ν3 bands at 7790.9, 7888.2 and 7904.3 cm−1, respectively. The spectrum assignment and modeling were performed using the effective Hamiltonian approach, which involves altogether three bright – (2,5,1), (2,1,3) and (5,0,1) and three dark – (2,7,0), (2,3,2) and (5,2,0) states. As a result, 3020 rovibrational transitions were assigned including 51 extra lines of the 2ν1+3ν2+2ν3 and 5ν1+2ν3 bands. In this way, the overall set of 1494 spin-rotation energy levels were reproduced with an rms of 4.9×10−3 cm−1 for the (obs.−calc) deviations, leading to the determination of 66 fitted parameters. The effective Hamiltonian for the {(5,2,0), (2,3,2), (2,7,0), (2,5,1), (2,1,3), (5,0,1)} interacting states takes into account both the spin–rotation interactions within each vibrational state and C-type Coriolis and anharmonic resonances between different vibrational states, according to symmetry considerations. Indeed for NO2 the ( v , 1 v 2 ± 2 , v 3 ∓ 1 ) ↔ ( v , 1 v 2 , v 3 ) spin rotation energy levels are usually coupled through C-type Coriolis resonances, and accordingly the (2,7,0)↔(2,5,1)↔(2,3,2)↔(2,1,3) and (5,2,0)↔(5,0,1) interactions were included in the effective Hamiltonian model. Furthermore, these two blocks of interacting states are coupled by an additional C-type Coriolis and anharmonic resonances. Using the fitted values of the Hamiltonian parameters and the values of the 2ν1+5ν2+ν3, 2ν1+ν2+3ν3 and 5ν1+ν3 bands transition dipole moment operators determined from a fit of a selected set of experimental line intensities, a synthetic spectrum was generated for the entire investigated region and is provided as Supplementary material .

International audience; Our systematic investigation of the high sensitivity CW-Cavity Ring Down Spectra of 16O/18O ozone isotopologues at high vibrational excitation continues with the study of the 16O18O18O and 18O16O18O species. The first two papers of this series were devoted to the analysis of the same four bands of the 16O16O18O and 16O18O16O species in the 5930-6340 cm-1domain. Here, after a brief reminder of relevant experiment and theory, we report the analyses of two bands of 16O18O18O, vibrationally assigned as 2ν2+5ν3 and 2ν1+2ν2+3ν3_2 and three bands of 18O16O18O, assigned to 2ν1+2ν2+3ν3_1, 5ν1+ν3 and 3ν1+ν2+3ν3.They correspond to the highest vibration excitations observed so far for the 16O18O18O and 18O16O18O isotopologues. Altogether for the two new bands of 16O18O18O, 1214 rovibrational transitions were assigned up to Jmax=29 and for the three new bands of 18O16O18O, 948 rovibrational transitions were assigned up to Jmax=27. Observed line positions were fitted with root-mean squares deviations ranging from 0.005 to 0.011 cm-1, using effective Hamiltonian models accounting for dark state perturbations. The derived band centres and rotational constants are in good agreement with new theoretical calculations from the molecular potential function. The corresponding lists of 3365 lines are provided as Supplementary material.

International audience; Complete 12CH4 spectrum in the lower icosad spectral range (7050-7350 cm‑1) has been measured in supersonic jet at 28 K for the first time using direct absorption tunable diode laser spectrometer. Due to efficient rotational cooling only spectral lines with lower rotational quantum number J < 4 are observed in the spectrum. Spectral lines in the supersonic jet spectra have been matched with those in liquid nitrogen cooled cell spectra (81 K) and two-temperature method for empirical lower state rotational quantum number assignments has been applied to obtain accurate experimental values of the lower state rotational quantum numbers J″. Especially positions of lines with of J″ = 0 are relevant for vibrational band origin determination, as they are unambiguously the R(0) transitions of the respective bands.

International audience; Using a cryogenic cell and a series of Distributed Feed Back (DFB) diode lasers, new high resolution spectra of methane have been recorded at 80 K and room temperature by differential absorption spectroscopy (DAS) between 6717 and 7589 cm-1 (1.49-1.32 μm). The investigated spectral region corresponds to the very congested icosad, which is not tractable by theory. Empirical lists of 19,940 and 24,001 lines were constructed from the 80 K and room temperature spectrum, respectively. The room temperature list adds about 8500 features to the empirical list of 15,375 lines at 296 K adopted in the HITRAN database from the original work of L. Brown (Brown, L. Empirical line parameters of methane from 1.1 to 2.1 μm. JQSRT 2005;96:251-70). A number of relatively strong CH4 lines located near strong water lines were found missing in the HITRAN line list. The improved sensitivity allowed adding more than 7000 lines to our previous list of about 12,000 transitions at 80 K (Campargue A, Wang L, Kassi S, Mašát M, Votava O. Temperature dependence of the absorption spectrum of CH4 by high resolution spectroscopy at 81 K: (II) The Icosad region (1.49-1.30 μm). JQSRT 2010;111:1141-51). In order to facilitate identification of the transitions of the different methane isotopologues present in "natural" isotopic abundance, spectra of highly enriched CH3D and 13CH4 samples were recorded with the same experimental setup, both at room temperature and at 80 K.From the variation of the line strengths between 80 K and 294 K, the low energy values of about 12,000 transitions were determined. They allow accounting for the temperature dependence of 84 and 93% of the methane absorbance in the region, at room temperature and 80 K, respectively. As a result, we provide as supplementary material two complete line lists at 80 K and 294 K, including CH3D and 13CH4 identification and lower state energy values.

The very weak absorption spectra of 18 O 3 and 16 O 3 have been recorded between 7700 and 7920 cm −1 by high sensitivity cavity ring down spectroscopy ( α min ∼10 −10 cm −1 ). The upper limit of the investigated region is only 6% below the dissociation energy. The spectrum consists in the superposition of very weak vibrational bands and unexpected broad absorption features which dominate in the case of the 18 O 3 isotopologue. From recordings at temperatures ranging from 294 to 354 K, the broad features were identified as due to the 3 A 2 (0 0 0)–X 1 A 1 (1 1 0) hot band. The rovibronic levels of the 3 A 2 (0 0 0) state are predissociated and the widths of the corresponding lines range from 0.02 to at least 0.5 cm −1 .

International audience; We measured the temperature dependence of the nitrogen broadening, narrowing and line-mixing coefficients of four lines of the P9 manifold in the ν3 band of 12CH4 for atmospheric purposes. The data were collected using our tunable diode laser (TDL) spectrometer with active wavenumber control coupled to a newly developed cold Herriott cell with a path length of 5.37 m and a temperature uniformity of better than 0.01 K along the cell. We recorded and analyzed spectra recorded at sample temperatures between 90 K and room temperature. We have investigated the influence of our new results in the inversion model used to retrieve methane profiles from atmospheric spectra; our new results make it possible to retrieve significantly more precise methane profiles. The atmospheric spectra we utilized were obtained by several of us with a balloon-born Fourier Transform infrared experiment in a limb configuration. Differences up to 7% on the retrieved volume mixing ratio were found compared to an inversion model using only HITRAN04 spectroscopic parameters.

We present a complete study on four methane lines for two atmospheric micro-windows (in the ν 2 + ν 4 absorption band) used for the determination of atmospheric methane concentrations with ground-based Fourier transform spectrometers. Thanks to our tunable diode laser (TDL) spectrometer with active wavenumber control and step-by-step recording mode we have improved the accuracy on intensity, broadening, narrowing, and pressure shift parameters. To make our results directly useable in atmospheric models which usually assume a Voigt line shape, we have parameterised an effective-broadening parameter γ Voigt ( P ) for each line and each gas mixture (CH 4 –N 2 and CH 4 –O 2 ). When this parameterisation is used to fit a “true” line profile, the same concentration as with more sophisticated models is retrieved using a consistent set of spectroscopic parameters in both approaches.

Remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere requires accurate knowledge of spectroscopic line parameters for the molecules investigated. Knowledge of the temperature dependence of these parameters is also essential if agreement, at the noise level, between calculated and experimental data is to be achieved. The authors recently published results of nitrogen broadening measurements in the v3 band of 12CH4 using the 5.37 m long absorption path length all-copper Herriott cell. The temperature dependent line parameters determined in the laboratory were applied to fit a portion of the atmospheric spectrum recorded with a balloon-borne remote sensing FTIR instrument, called the Limb Profile Monitor of the Atmosphere, and operating in absorption against the sun. Since the authors had a relatively complete series of data for the P(9) transition in the v3 band of 12CH4, the A2 1 as well as the F2 1, F1 1 and A1 1 lines recorded at different pressures and at four temperatures between 300 and 90 K, we reanalyzed the data to derive pressure shift information at different temperatures. The temperatures for which data were collected and analyzed are 298, 140 and 90K. The high precision pressure shift data obtained here over a large range of temperature demonstrate the ability of our experimental arrangement to address specific questions on a given spectral window like in the balloon experiment or in a satellite project, for example.