Atmospheric transmittance of an absorbing gas 2: A computationally fast and accurate transmittance model for slant paths at different zenith angles

Abstract

Models exist which allow the calculation of atmospheric transmittance at a given zenith angle for an absorbing gas with a constant mixing ratio. However, many applications require transmittances at several zenith angles. A simple, fast, and accurate model for calculating the angular dependence is given. This model is computationally fast because only the four arithmetic operations are used. Details for calculating the expansion coefficients are provided. When this technique is combined with a procedure for calculating transmittances at a fixed angle, it is possible to calculate transmittances for slant paths at arbitrary zenith angles and temperature profiles, provided the mixing ratio is constant. This technique was evaluated with a method capable of calculating transmittances at zero zenith angle with an accuracy of 0.0031. For zenith angles ranging from 0 degrees to 40 degrees , transmittances agree with line-by-line calculations to within 0.0038.