MICROWAVE SPECTRA AND STRUCTURE OF N$_2$ CO$_2$

Abstract

We present here the FTMW spectra of the various isotopologues of the weakly-bound complex of carbon dioxide with the most abundant molecule in the atmosphere, nitrogen. The structure of the complex along with the inversion of the N$_2$ (or lack of it) will be discussed. The molecule is T-shaped, with the OCO forming the cross of the T, a structure deduced from a previous rotationally-resolved infrared experiment. \textbf{189}, 111-120 (1988)} A significant wide-amplitude bending motion of the N$_2$ is deduced from the values of the (nearly identical) nuclear quadrupole coupling constants of the nitrogen nuclei. The spectroscopic results will be compared with ab-initio calculations. We will examine the consequences of N$_2$-CO$_2$ formation upon atmospheric opacity.