HOT METHANE LINE LISTS FOR EXOPLANET AND BROWN DWARF ATMOSPHERES
/ Authors
/ Abstract
We present comprehensive experimental line lists of methane (CH4) at high temperatures obtained by recording Fourier transform infrared emission spectra. Calibrated line lists are presented for the temperatures 300–1400°C at twelve 100°C intervals spanning the 960–5000 cm−1 (2.0–10.4 μm) region of the infrared. This range encompasses the dyad, pentad, and octad regions, i.e., all fundamental vibrational modes along with a number of combination, overtone and hot bands. Using our CH4 spectra, we have estimated empirical lower state energies (Elow in cm−1) and our values have been incorporated into the line lists along with line positions ( in cm−1) and calibrated line intensities (S′ in cm molecule−1). We expect our hot CH4 line lists to find direct application in the modeling of planetary atmospheres and brown dwarfs.
Journal: The Astrophysical Journal