Infrared and visible wavelength absorption by water vapour
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Water vapour is the most important species in our atmosphere for both absorbing incoming sunlight and for absorbing heat leaving the earth's surface (the so-called greenhouse effect). Thus a thorough and reliable understanding of how water absorbs radiation at all wavelengths is absolutely crucial to understanding, modelling and making predictions about atmospheric processes. For example reliable predictions of water absorptions are essential for models of climate change, for studies of the concentration of trace species in the atmosphere using satellites and for modelling communications through the atmosphere. Unfortunately the way water absorbs light is (uniquely?) complicated and, despite huge scientific effort, remains insufficiently well determined for many atmospheric purposes. The proposers group have developed theoretical procedure based on the rigorous application of quantum mechanics which have allowed a significant advance in the understanding and interpretation of water absorptions. These procedures are not yet accurate enough to give a complete solution of the problem using computers. However when combined with modern laboratory experiments it should be possible to create a definitive database of water absorptions. The present proposal is ensure the reliable provision of data on the absorption of light by water vapour over a wide range of wavelengths, concentrating especially on the wavelengths where solar radiation is the largest. This will be achieved by theoretical work performed at UCL and by coordinating the leading laboratories worldwide who work on water absorptions using laboratory measurements. Extensive testing of the resulting data against laboratory and atmospheric measurements will be performed to ensure that the data is reliable.
Organisations
Publications
Barletta P
(2006)
CVRQD ab initio ground-state adiabatic potential energy surfaces for the water molecule
in The Journal of Chemical Physics
Bykov A
(2008)
Shift of the centers of H2O absorption lines in the region of 1.06 µm
in Optics and Spectroscopy
Bykov A
(2008)
Water vapor line width and shift calculations with accurate vibration-rotation wave functions
in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer
Furtenbacher T
(2007)
MARVEL: measured active rotational-vibrational energy levels
in Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy
Hodges J
(2008)
Comparison between theoretical calculations and high-resolution measurements of pressure broadening for near-infrared water spectra
in Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy
Naumenko O
(2006)
Cavity ring-down spectroscopy of H217O in the range 16570-17125cm-1
in Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy
Naumenko O
(2007)
Intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy of D2O between 11400 and 11900cm-1
in Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy
Shirin S
(2006)
Spectroscopically determined potential energy surfaces of the H216O, H217O, and H218O isotopologues of water
in Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy
Theodore R
(2013)
Listeners' sensitivity to talker differences in voice-onset-time: Phonetic boundaries and internal category structure
in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Tolchenov R
(2008)
Water line parameters from refitted spectra constrained by empirical upper state levels: Study of the 9500- region
in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer
Description | Understanding accurately how water vapour absorbs and emits light |
Exploitation Route | data included in the HITRAN database |
Sectors | Environment |
Title | Databases of molecular line lists |
Description | Our molecular line lists have been collected as data. These are distributed directly from our own website and via other data centres (Strasbourg, BADC) and via other databases: HITRAN, GEISA, KIDA, BASECOL, HITEMP etc |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | HITRAN has 200,000 users. Our data is now central to this. Other data is having an important influence in other key areas eg Exoplanet research. |
Description | schools talks |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I have regularly been invited back to schools who wish to increase A-level participation in STEM subjects have regularly been invited back to schools who wish to increase A-level participation in STEM subjects |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |