A pure H2O isolated line-shape model based on classical molecular dynamics simulations of velocity changes and semi-classical calculations of speed-dependent collisional parameters.
It is well known that the Voigt profile does not well describe the (measured) shapes of isolated lines. This is due to the neglect of the intermolecular collision-induced velocity changes and of the speed dependence of the collisional parameters. In this paper, we present a new line profile model for pure H(2)O which takes both of these effects into account. The speed dependence of the collisional parameters has been calculated by a semi-classical method. The velocity changes have been modeled by using the Keilson-Storer collision kernel with two characteristic parameters. The latter have been deduced from classical molecular dynamics simulations which also indicate that, for pure H(2)O, the correlation between velocity-changing and state-changing collisions is not negligible, a result confirmed by the analysis of measured spectra. A partially correlated speed-dependent Keilson-Storer model has thus been adopted to describe the line-shape. Comparisons between simulated spectra and measurements for four self-broadened lines in the near-infrared at various pressures show excellent agreements.
Velocity effects on the shape of pure H2O isolated lines: complementary tests of the partially correlated speed-dependent Keilson-Storer model.
Complementary tests of the partially correlated speed-dependent Keilson-Storer (pCSDKS) model for the shape of isolated transition of pure water vapor [N. H. Ngo et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 154310 (2012)] are made using new measurements. The latter have been recorded using a high sensitivity cavity ring down spectrometer, for seven self-broadened H(2)O lines in the 1.6 μm region at room temperature and for pressures from 0.5 to 15 Torr. Furthermore, the H(2) (18)O spectra of [M. D. De Vizia et al., Phys. Rev. A 83, 052506 (2011)] in the 1.38 μm region, measured at 273.15 K and for pressures from 0.3 to 3.75 Torr have also been used for comparison with the model. Recall that the pCSDKS model takes into account the collision-induced velocity changes, the speed dependences of the broadening and shifting coefficients as well as the partial correlation between velocity and rotational-state changes. All parameters of the model have been fixed at values previously determined, except for a scaling factor applied to the input speed-dependent line broadening. Comparisons between predictions and experiments have been made by looking at the results obtained when fitting the calculated and measured spectra by Voigt profiles. The good agreement obtained for all considered lines, at different temperature and pressure conditions, confirms the consistency and the robustness of the model. Limiting cases of the model have been then derived, showing the influence of different contributions to the line shape.
The fragmentation of small asteroids in the atmosphere
The fragmentation of a small asteroid in the atmosphere greatly increases its cross-sections for aerodynamic braking and energy dissipation. The differential pressure across a meteoroid disperses its fragments at a velocity that increases with atmospheric density and impact velocity and decreases with meteoroid density. At a typical impact velocity of 22 km/s, the atmosphere absorbs more than half the kinetic energy of stony meteoroids with diameters, D M < 220 M AND IRON METEOROIDS WITH D M < 80 m. The corresponding diameter for comets with impact velocity 50 km/s is D M < 1600 m. Most of this energy dissipation occurs in a fraction of a scale height, which causes large meteoroids to appear to »explode« or »flare« at the end of their visible paths