Coefficients for oxygen absorption in the infrared induced by collisions with O2 and N2 are reported over the range 1400–1800 cm−1 and 225–356 K. These coefficients are used to calculate the absorption for O2 in air as a function of temperature and wavenumber, and comparisons are made with previous determinations. In addition, structured absorption features superimposed on the broad collision-induced absorption band, which were observed at all temperatures studied, are interpreted in terms of the presence of (O2)2 and O2-N2 van der Waals molecules.
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The infrared fundamental band and the five strongest near-infrared and visible electronic bands of gaseous oxygen were studied from 90 to 115 K with path lengths up to 140 m in two low-temperature multiple-traversal absorption cells. The profile of the fundamental band is in good agreement with the theory of quadrupole-induced absorption except for a low-intensity residual in the Q-branch region. Although the electronic bands are less amenable to complete analysis, the general validity of a Boltzmann relation in their intensity distributions confirms their collision-induced nature. The temperature variation of the integrated band intensities is indicative of quadrupole induction for the fundamental and of overlap induction for the electronic bands; a somewhat too sharp rise at low temperatures may be due to the neglect of the quadrupole–quadrupole coupling in evaluating the pair distribution function.
