Thermal infrared lines of methane broadened by nitrogen at low temperatures

Measurements of spectral transmittance in the v₄-fundamental band of ¹²CH₄ have been performed at low temperatures using a Fourier transform spectrometer with apodized spectral resolution of 0.06 cm^-1. With applications to lines formed in the atmospheres of Titan and Earth in mind, N₂ has been used as the broadening gas. Comparisons of observed and computed spectral transmittances on a line-by-line basis have yielded line strengths, N₂-broadened half-widths and their variation with temperature. Best agreement between measured and computed spectra was obtained when the absolute intensity of the band was taken as 128 cm^-2-atm^-1 at 296 K. Line widths were found to vary as Tⁿ with n = -1.0 for lines of the F-species and 0.63 for the A-species. Our measured line widths are considerably larger than those used in the AFGL compilation.