Abstract
IN a study of the molecular composition of water vapour we have compared absorption measured at a wave number of about 7 cm−1 with that predicted for vapour consisting only of single molecules. The 7–10 cm−1 spectral region lies between monomer rotation lines where predicted absorption is low, but where anomalies in the absorption spectrum of the atmosphere require explanation1–4. In this experiment a large excess absorption with a quadratic pressure dependence was observed and this is attributed to the presence of water dimers. However, the temperature dependence of the excess absorption at low temperatures is much stronger than that expected from equilibrium concentrations of dimers.
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JONES, D., KNIGHT, R. & GEBBIE, H. Absorption by water vapour at 7.1 cm−1 and its temperature dependence. Nature 274, 876–878 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274876a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/274876a0
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