Far infrared measurements of absorptions by CH4+CO2 and H2+CO2 mixtures and implications for greenhouse warming on early Mars [EPA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1805.02595


We present an experimental study of the absorption, between 40 and 640 cm$^{-1}$, by CO$_2$, CH$_4$ and H$_2$ gases as well as by H$_2$+CO$_2$ and CH$_4$+CO$_2$ mixtures at room temperature. A Fourier transform spectrometer associated to a multi-pass cell, whose optics were adjusted to obtain a 152 m pathlength, were used to record transmission spectra at total pressures up to about 0.98 bar. These measurements provide information concerning the collision-induced absorption (CIA) bands as well as about the wing of the CO$_2$ 15 $\mu$m band. Our results for the CIAs of pure gases are, within uncertainties, in agreement with previous determinations, validating our experimental and data analysis procedures. We then consider the CIAs by H$_2$+CO$_2$ and CH$_4$+CO$_2$ and the low frequency wing of the pure CO$_2$ 15 $\mu$m band, for which there are, to our knowledge, no previous measurements. We confirm experimentally the theoretical prediction of Wordsworth et al. 2017 that the H$_2$+CO$_2$ and CH$_4$+CO$_2$ CIAs are significantly stronger in the 50-550 cm$^{-1}$ region than those of H$_2$+N$_2$ and CH$_4$+N$_2$, respectively. However, we find that the shape and the strength of these recorded CIAs differ from the aforementioned predictions. For the pure CO$_2$ line-wings, we show that both the $\chi$-factor deduced from measurements near 4 $\mu$m and a line-mixing model very well describe the observed strongly sub-Lorentzian behavior in the 500-600 cm$^{-1}$ region. These experimental results open renewed perspectives for studies of the past climate of Mars and extrasolar analogues.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Turbet, H. Tran, O. Pirali, et. al.
Tue, 8 May 18
48/69

Comments: Submitted to Icarus. 22 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Comments are welcome