We report measurements of the water vapor continuum using infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy at frequencies of 931.002, 944.195, and 969.104 cm−1. Our values of the water vapor continuum coefficients for self-broadening at T = 296K are Cs0 (931cm−1) = 2.23±0.17, Cs0(944cm−1) = 2.02±0.13, and Cs0(969cm−1) = 1.79±0.21×10−22molecules−1cm2atm−1. Our measurements are found to be in good agreement with the far wing line shape theory of Ma and Tipping, but we find that empirical models of the water vapor continuum, widely used in radiative transfer calculations, significantly overestimate the observed self-broadened continuum.
The purpose of The Journal of Chemical Physics is to bridge a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistry by publishing quantitative research based on physical principles and techniques, as applied to "chemical" systems. Just as the fields of chemistry and physics have expanded, so have chemical physics subject areas, which include polymers, materials, surfaces/interfaces, and biological macromolecules, along with the traditional small molecule and condensed phase systems. The Journal of Chemical Physics (JCP) is published four times per month (48 issues per year) by the American Institute of Physics.
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership corporation created for the purpose of promoting the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of physics and its application to human welfare. It is the mission of the Institute to serve the sciences of physics and astronomy by serving its member societies, by serving individual scientists, and by serving students and the general public.
As a "society of societies," AIP supports ten Member Societies and provides a spectrum of services and programs devoted to advancing the science and profession of physics. A pioneer in digital publishing, AIP is also one of the world's largest publishers of physics journals and produces the publications of more than 25 scientific and engineering societies through its New York-based publishing division.
