Traces of HCl and HF in the atmosphere of Venus

Abstract

High-resolution interferometric spectra of Venus show weak, narrow absorption lines which are assigned to the 20 vibration-rotation band of HCl and the 10 and 20 bands of HF. The HCl lines are consistent with 2-mm Amagat of that gas in the optical path, at temperatures near 240 K and pressure near 0.1 atm, in a spectral region where the effective CO2 path is 1.7 X 106 times as large. The lessextensive HF data indicate about 0.02 mm Amagat of that gas.