Influence of line interference on the vibration-rotation band shapes

The shapes of the CO, v₃, CO₂, and v₃ N₂O fundamental vibration-rotation bands have been studied at various temperatures and in the presence of several perturbing gases. Also the half-widths of CO vibration-rotation lines have been measured at 78 K. In the region of line wings, the measured absorption coefficients deviate from those given by the superposition of Lorentzian profiles. These deviations are explained by the collision-induced line interference that causes redistribution of absorption inside the band. A theory of line mixing is formulated which is based on Markov approximation and on the strong collision model. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the band shape. The computed shapes are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results. The deviations from the Lorentz absorption observed in pure CO and in CO-N₂ at low temperature are partially ascribed to the formation of van der Waals dimers.