Laboratory absorption strengths for the H2 /4,0/ and /3,0/ S/1/ lines

Abstract

Long-path absorption measurements of the (3,0) and (4,0) S(1) quadrupole lines of molecular hydrogen have been made, yielding an accurate experimental line strength for the (4,0) line and confirming previous estimates for the (3,0) line. The H2 (4,0) S(1) line is significantly weaker than theoretical predictions, a result of importance to our understanding of the atmospheres of the outer planets.