THE ABSORPTION DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE INFRARED SOLAR SPECTRUM

Abstract

New tracings of the absorption bands due to carbon monoxide in the 4.7 μ and 2.4 μ regions of the solar spectrum were obtained with a spectrometer of high resolving power. From the observed absorption intensity at 4.7 μ the abundance of carbon monoxide in the earth's atmosphere over Ottawa was found, during spring and fall 1952, to vary between 0.1 and 0.2 cm-atm. Similar observations, made at other stations, were re-evaluated with the laboratory data used at Ottawa. The values for the carbon monoxide abundance in the earth's atmosphere at different geographical locations, determined in this way, were found to be within the limits of the values obtained at Ottawa. Absorption lines due to solar carbon monoxide in the 4.7 μ region of the spectrum were resolved. Their intensity relative to the intensity of the solar carbon monoxide absorption in the 2.4 μ region of the spectrum was found to be in agreement with expectations based on the theoretical curves of growth for solar absorption lines.