A Precise Photometric Ratio via Laser Excitation of the Sodium Layer II: Two-photon Excitation Using Lasers Detuned from 589.16 nm and 819.71 nm Resonances
This article is the second in a pair of articles on the topic of the generation of a two-color artificial star (which we term a "laser photometric ratio star," or LPRS) of de-excitation light from neutral sodium atoms in the mesosphere, for use in precision telescopic measurements in astronomy and atmospheric physics, and more specifically for the calibration of measurements of dark energy using type Ia supernovae. The two techniques respectively described in both this and the previous article would each generate an LPRS with a precisely 1:1 ratio of yellow (589/590 nm) photons to near-infrared (819/820 nm) photons produced in the mesosphere. Both techniques would provide novel mechanisms f…
A precise photometric ratio via laser excitation of the sodium layer - I. One-photon excitation using 342.78 nm light
The largest uncertainty on measurements of dark energy using type Ia supernovae is presently due to systematics from photometry; specifically to the relative uncertainty on photometry as a function of wavelength in the optical spectrum. We show that a precise constraint on relative photometry between the visible and near-infrared can be achieved in upcoming surveys (such as in LSST at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory) via a mountaintop-located laser source tuned to the 342.78 nm vacuum excitation wavelength of neutral sodium atoms. Using a high-power (500 W) laser modified from laser guide star studies, this excitation will produce an artificial star (which we term a "laser photometric ratio s…
Methane line parameters in the HITRAN2012 database
International audience; The compilation of methane molecular line parameters was updated to include new global analyses and measurements for 12CH4, 13CH4 and 12CH3D. Over 70% of the methane parameters in HITRAN2008 were replaced; existing parameters retained were the microwave lines and the Dyad of 13CH4 near 7 μm and ν6 of 13CH3D near 8.7 μm, 12CH3D (7-4076 cm-1), hot bands of 12CH4 (1887-3370 cm-1) and normal sample CH4 (4800-5550 cm-1 and 8000-9200 cm-1). With a minimum intensity at 296 K in units of cm-1/(molecule cm-2) set to 10-37 for the far-IR and 10-29 for the mid- and near-IR, the methane database increased from 290,091 lines in HITRAN2008 to 468,013 lines, and three-fourths of th…