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At least 127 records · Page 7

Ab Initio Studies of Chlorine Oxide and Nitrogen Oxide Species of Interest in Stratospheric Chemistry

The ability of modern state-of-the art ab initio quantum chemical techniques to characterize reliably the gas-phase molecular structure, vibrational spectrum, electronic spectrum, and thermal stability of chlorine oxide and nitrogen oxide species will be demonstrated by presentation of some example studies. In particular the geometrical structures, vibrational spectra, and heats of formation Of ClNO2, CisClONO, and trans-ClONO are shown to be in excellent agreement with the available experimental data, and where the experimental data are either not known or are inconclusive, the ab initio results are shown to fill in the gaps and to resolve the experimental controversy. In addition, ab initio studies in which the electronic spectra and the characterization of excited electronic states of ClONO2, HONO2, ClOOC17 ClOOH, and HOOH will also be presented. Again where available, the ab initio results are compared to experimental observations, and are used to aid in the interpretation of the experimental studies.

Lee, Timothy J.↗

Ab Initio Studies of Halogen and Nitrogen Oxide Species of Interest in Stratospheric Chemistry

The ability of modern state-of-the art ab initio quantum chemical techniques to characterize reliably the gas-phase molecular structure, vibrational spectrum, electronic spectrum, and thermal stability of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and nitrogen oxide species will be demonstrated by presentation of some example studies. The ab initio results are shown to be in excellent agreement with the available experimental data, and where the experimental data are either not known or are inconclusive, the theoretical results are shown to fill in the gaps and to resolve experimental controversies. In addition, ab initio studies in which the electronic spectra and the characterization of excited electronic states of halogen oxide species will also be presented. Again where available, the ab initio results are compared to experimental observations, and are used to aid in the interpretation of experimental studies.

Lee, Timothy J.↗

Ring Effect Studies: Rayleigh Scattering, including Molecular Parameters for Rotational Raman Scattering, and the Faunhofer Spectrum

Improved parameters for the description of Rayleigh scattering in air and for the detailed rotational Raman scattering component for scattering by O2 and N2 are presented for the wavelength range 200-1000 nm. These parameters enable more accurate calculations of bulk molecular scattering and of the 'Ring effect' for a variety of atmospheric radiative transfer and constituent retrieval applications. A solar reference spectrum with accurate absolute vacuum wavelength calibration, suitable for convolution with the rotational Raman spectrum for Ring effect calculations, has been produced and is briefly described. The solar-rotational Raman convolved product is available for fitting of atmospheric spectra.

Chance, K. V.↗

Ultra high resolution molecular beam cars spectroscopy with application to planetary atmospheric molecules

The measurement of high resolution pulsed and continuous wave (CW) coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) measurements in pulsed and steady state supersonic expansions were demonstrated. Pulsed molecular beam sources were characterized, and saturation of a Raman transition and, for the first time, the Raman spectrum of a complex molecular cluster were observed. The observation of CW CARS spectra in a molecular expansion and the effects of transit time broadening is described. Supersonic expansion is established as a viable technique for high resolution Raman spectroscopy of cold molecules with resolutions of 100 MH2.

Byer, R. L.↗

Polymer formation in a simulated Jovian atmosphere.

Experimental investigation in which an attempt was made to fractionate the polymeric substances in a simulated Jovian atmosphere according to molecular weight, and to characterize them. It is pointed out that the substance obtained by discharge in methane and ammonia has often been assumed to be the substance responsible for the red color of Jupiter. The deposit formed on the reaction vessel really looks reddish. When the substance was fractionated according to the molecular weight, the color was darker the larger the molecular weight. However, the spectrum of the color was, whether by absorption or by the combination of scattering and fluorescence, indistinguishable regardless of the molecular weight of the fraction. In addition, the apparent color changes when the concentration varies. It would not be simple to identify the red substance in Jupiter.

Noda, H.↗

Preliminary submillimeter spectroscopic measurements using a submillimeter heterodyne radiometer

A submillimeter heterodyne radiometer uses a submillimeter laser, pumped by a CO2 laser, as a local oscillator and a room temperature Schottky barrier diode as the first IF mixer. The radiometer can resolve spectral lines in the submillimeter region of the spectrum (arising from pure rotational molecular transitions) to within 0.3 MHz, using acousto-optic spectrum analyzer which measures the power spectrum by simultaneously sampling 0.3 MHz wide channels over a 100 MHz bandwidth spanning the line. Preliminary observations of eight spectral lines of H2O2, CO, NH3 and H2O, all lying in the 434-524 micrometer wavelength range are described. All eight lines were observed using two local oscillator frequencies obtained by operating the submillimeter laser with either methyl fluoride (CH3F) or formic acid (HCOOH) as the lasing gas. Sample calculations of line parameters from the observed data show good agreement with established values. One development goal is the size and weight reduction of the package to make it suitable for balloon or shuttle experiments to detect trace gases in the upper atmosphere.

Safren, H. G.↗

Fluorescence of molecular hydrogen excited by solar extreme-ultraviolet radiation

During trans-earth coast, the Apollo 17 ultraviolet spectrometer was scheduled to make observations of the far ultraviolet background in selected regions of the sky. In the course of one of these observations, the spacecraft fuel cells were routinely purged of excess hydrogen and water vapor. The ultraviolet fluorescence spectrum of the purged molecular hydrogen excited by solar extreme ultraviolet radiation is interpreted by absorption of solar L-beta and L-gamma radiation in the nearly resonant (6, 0) and (11, 0) Lyman bands. The results are deemed significant for ultraviolet spectroscopic investigations of the atmospheres of the moon and planets since Lyman-band fluorescence provides an unambiguous means of identification of molecular hydrogen in upper atmospheres.

Feldman, P. D.↗

Comet Bowell /1980b/ - An active-looking dormant object

The absence of molecular emissions in the spectrum of Comet Bowell, a nearly constant amount of dust in its coma, a slow expansion rate of the coma and implied low particle velocities, a tail width that does not increase with increasing distance from the nucleus, the absence of tail particles less than 0.5 mm in diameter, and the development of an elongated coma, lead to the conclusion that the solid particles in the coma and tail are not recent ejecta, and that the comet has probably been dormant. It is speculated that 10 to the 13th g of observed coma and tail particles is either a leftover pristine material that has never contacted the nucleus surface, or a product of erratic activity associated with chemical instability, at temperatures below 40 K, stimulated by cosmic ray and/or UV irradiation of the surface layer during the comet's Oort cloud stay. It remains possible that the comet may temporarily become active near perihelion.

Sekanina, Z.↗

Ozone in the free atmosphere

The present book provides a summary of the state of scientific knowledge of stratospheric and free tropospheric ozone as it exists at the beginning of 1983. Ozone photochemistry in the stratosphere is discussed, taking into account fundamental molecular properties, the absorption spectrum of ozone, photodissociation, ozone formation and destruction in the upper atmosphere, the photochemistry of odd-hydrogen, the photochemistry of odd-nitrogen, the photochemistry of odd-chlorine, and photochemistry-temperature coupling. The observed distribution of atmospheric ozone and its variations are considered along with ozone transport, ozone in the troposphere, stratospheric ozone perturbations, and climatic and biological effects. Attention is given to the techniques of observing atmospheric ozone, horizontal-vertical ozone transport and conservative quantities, measurements of tropospheric ozone, the tropospheric ozone budget, ozone models, natural ozone variations, and anthropogenic ozone perturbations.

Whitten, R. C.↗

Calculation of space station infrared irradiance from atmosphere-induced emissions

The excitation mechanisms and radiance estimates over the 1 to 10 micron region for CO2(v), H2O(v), CO(v), OH(v), NO2(2B-2A) and N2(B3 pi - A3 sigma) are discussed. The infrared irradiance of the Space Station at an altitude of 460 km was estimated. The surface material was presumed to be non-carbonaceous and inert. The determined number densities of the various gases relevant to the Space Station from both ambient and outgassing sources are presented. A model for the production of and emission from the infrared active molecules was constructed that considers two classes of production processes: (1) gas phase excitation of molecules in the near Station environment by collision with ambient flux; and (2) surface processes that lead to molecular excitation. A composite spectrum of all major emitting species shows that the observed irradiance is non-uniform over the 1 to 8 micron region. The comparison of predicted irradiance with the zodiacal background indicates that the Space Station infrared background from atmosphere-induced emissions may be a problem of consequence.

Fraser, M. E.↗

10 micron spectroscopy of younger stars in the rho Ophiuchi cloud

Spectra in the 10 micrometer region were obtained of 14 young stars associated with the central core of the rho Oph dark cloud complex. Silicate dust emission and absorption features can be fairly well reproduced with simple models using the emissivity of the silicates in the Orion Trapezium region, believed to be typical of molecular cloud dust. A spectrum of the Trapezium star theta(sup 1) Ori D was obtained to define the emissivity more precisely. The emissivity of silicate dust around the late-type giant Mu Cep does not improve the fits to the absorption features and provides a poorer match to the emission features. None of the sources display a strong 11.2 micrometer peak like that seen in comet Halley and attributed to crystalline olivine. A broad weak feature near 11.2 micrometer, possibly related to the comet feature, may be present in the emission spectrum of the Herbig Ae star HD 150193. Absorption features toward two of the objects are narrower than would be expected from Trapezium-like silicates, suggesting differences in the composition of the silicates. The relation between the silicate extinction band depth and H2O ice band depths is determined for the deeply embedded objects. One late-type object, Elias 14, clearly shows the 11.25 micrometer aromatic hydrocarbon emission feature, possibly excited by the nearby B star, HD 147889, though the latter does not exhibit the feature.

Hanner, M. S.↗