Model, software, and database for line-mixing effects in the ν3 and ν4 bands of CH4 and tests using laboratory and planetary measurements. I. N2 (and air) broadenings and the Earth atmosphere

Absorption spectra of the infrared ν3 and ν4 bands of CH4 perturbed by N2 over large ranges of pressure and temperature have been measured in the laboratory. A theoretical approach accounting for line mixing is proposed to (successfully) model these experiments. It is similar to that of Pieroni et al. [J Chem Phys 1999;110:7717–32] and is based on state-to-state rotational cross-sections calculated with a semi-classical approach and a few empirical parameters. The latter, which enable switching from the state space to the line space, are deduced from a fit of a single room temperature spectrum of the ν3 band at 50 atm. The comparisons between numerous measured and calculated spectra under a…