INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC DETECTION OF FLUOROCARBON-12 IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

Laboratory spectra of fluorocarbon-12 $(CCl_{2}F_{2})$ were recorded and compared to spectra of the atmospheric transmission of solar radiation in the region from $6.7 \mu$ to $20 \mu$. These spectra were collected using Fourier transform spectroscopy. Certain absorption features in the solar spectrum agree well with absorption features of low concentrations of fluorocarbon-12. To confirm that fluorocarbon-12 was indeed present in our solar spectra, computer simulated spectra of atmospheric transmission without fluorocarbon-12 were compared to the recorded spectra. Furthermore, from the laboratory spectra of fluorocarbon-12, several parameters which identify a strong Q-branch feature near 9.6 $\mu$ have been calculated and included in computer simulations. These simulations in which the fluorocarbon-12 was included agree with our observed spectra.