Collision-Induced Absorption as a Probe of Rare-Gas Interatomic Potentials

Abstract

The temperature dependence of far-infrared collision-induced absorption of rare-gas mixtures is shown theoretically to be capable of providing detailed information about the repulsive part of the interaction potential for unlike atoms. Two common potentials which give virial coefficients differing by only 3% over a large temperature range should show absorption differing by 30%.