The far-wing line shape theory within the binary collision and quasistatic framework developed previously for linear molecules using the coordinate representation has been generalized to symmetric- and asymmetric-top molecular systems. However, due to more variables needed to specify the orientation of these complicated molecules, one has to evaluate multidimensional integrals with higher dimensionality and this would be intractable for practical calculations. In cases where the anisotropic interaction contains cyclic coordinates, one can carry out the integration of the density matrix over these coordinates analytically and obtain the ‘‘averaged’’ density matrix. This reduces the dimensionality of the multidimensional integrals and thus dramatically reduces the computational time necessary to obtain converged results. In addition, a new interpolation method that enables one to treat more realistic potential models has been formulated. Using these results, calculations for the band-average far-wing line shapes and corresponding absorption coefficients in the spectral range 300–1100 cm-1 have been carried out for H2O–H2O and H2O–N2 pairs for a few temperatures. These results improve the agreement with experimental data over previous calculations that were limited in the number of states that could be included and in the sophistication of the anisotropic interaction potential model that was used.
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The continuum absorption by H2O has several characteristics that are common throughout the windows in the infrared and millimeter-wave regions. Values of the continuum absorption coefficient calculated on the basis of simple, widely used line shapes may differ greatly from observed values in the windows between strong absorption lines. The temperature dependence of this absorption is also not predictable from present day understanding of line shapes or of dieters, which may also contribute. The shapes of self-broadened H2O lines are quite different from those of N2-broadened lines, and the difference increases with increasing distance from the centers of the lines. Data obtained from laboratory samples and from atmospheric paths are presented to compare the various windows in the infrared and millimeter regions.
