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Transition intensities for small molecules such as water and CO2 can now be computed with such high accuracy that they are being used to systematically replace measurements in standard databases. These calculations use high-accuracy ab initio dipole moment surfaces and wave functions from spectroscopically determined potential energy surfaces (PESs). Here, an extra high-accuracy PES of the water molecule (H216O) is produced starting from an ab initio PES which is then refined to empirical rovibrational energy levels. Variational nuclear motion calculations using this PES reproduce the fitted energy levels with a standard deviation of 0.011 cm−1, approximately three times their stated uncertainty. The use of wave functions computed with this refined PES is found to improve the predicted transition intensities for selected (problematic) transitions. A new room temperature line list for H216O is presented. It is suggested that the associated set of line intensities is the most accurate available to date for this species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Modern theoretical chemistry'.

In order to promote the development of the passive DOAS technique the Multi Axis DOAS – Comparison campaign for Aerosols and Trace gases (MAD-CAT) was held at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, from June to October 2013. Here, we systematically compare the differential slant column densities (dSCDs) of nitrous acid (HONO) derived from measurements of seven different instruments. We also compare the tropospheric difference of SCDs (delta SCD) of HONO, namely the difference of the SCDs for the non-zenith observations and the zenith observation of the same elevation sequence. Different research groups analysed the spectra from their own instruments using their individual fit software. All the fit errors of HONO dSCDs from the instruments with cooled large-size detectors are mostly in the range of 0.1 to 0.3  ×  1015 molecules cm−2 for an integration time of 1 min. The fit error for the mini MAX-DOAS is around 0.7  ×  1015 molecules cm−2. Although the HONO delta SCDs are normally smaller than 6  ×  1015 molecules cm−2, consistent time series of HONO delta SCDs are retrieved from the measurements of different instruments. Both fits with a sequential Fraunhofer reference spectrum (FRS) and a daily noon FRS lead to similar consistency. Apart from the mini-MAX-DOAS, the systematic absolute differences of HONO delta SCDs between the instruments are smaller than 0.63  ×  1015 molecules cm−2. The correlation coefficients are higher than 0.7 and the slopes of linear regressions deviate from unity by less than 16 % for the elevation angle of 1°. The correlations decrease with an increase in elevation angle. All the participants also analysed synthetic spectra using the same baseline DOAS settings to evaluate the systematic errors of HONO results from their respective fit programs. In general the errors are smaller than 0.3  ×  1015 molecules cm−2, which is about half of the systematic difference between the real measurements.The differences of HONO delta SCDs retrieved in the selected three spectral ranges 335–361, 335–373 and 335–390 nm are considerable (up to 0.57  ×  1015 molecules cm−2) for both real measurements and synthetic spectra. We performed sensitivity studies to quantify the dominant systematic error sources and to find a recommended DOAS setting in the three spectral ranges. The results show that water vapour absorption, temperature and wavelength dependence of O4 absorption, temperature dependence of Ring spectrum, and polynomial and intensity offset correction all together dominate the systematic errors. We recommend a fit range of 335–373 nm for HONO retrievals. In such fit range the overall systematic uncertainty is about 0.87  ×  1015 molecules cm−2, much smaller than those in the other two ranges. The typical random uncertainty is estimated to be about 0.16  ×  1015 molecules cm−2, which is only 25 % of the total systematic uncertainty for most of the instruments in the MAD-CAT campaign. In summary for most of the MAX-DOAS instruments for elevation angle below 5°, half daytime measurements (usually in the morning) of HONO delta SCD can be over the detection limit of 0.2  ×  1015 molecules cm−2 with an uncertainty of  ∼  0.9  ×  1015 molecules cm−2.

Water vapour is known to absorb radiation from the microwave region to the blue part of the visible spectrum with decreasing efficiency. Ab initio approaches to model individual absorption lines of the gaseous water molecule predict absorption lines up to its dissociation limit at 243 nm.We present the first evidence of water vapour absorption near 363 nm from field measurements using data from multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) and long-path (LP)-DOAS measurements. The identification of the absorptions was based on the recent POKAZATEL line list by Polyansky et al. (2017). For MAX-DOAS measurements, we observed absorption by water vapour in an absorption band around 363 nm with optical depths of up to 2 × 10−3. The retrieved column densities from 2 months of measurement data and more than 2000 individual observations at different latitudes correlate well with simultaneously measured well-established water vapour absorptions in the blue spectral range from 452 to 499 nm (R2 = 0.89), but the line intensities at around 363 nm are underestimated by a factor of 2.6  ±  0.5 by the ab initio model. At a spectral resolution of 0.5 nm, we derive a maximum cross section value of 2.7 × 10−27 cm2 molec−1 at 362.3 nm. The results were independent of the used literature absorption cross section of the O4 absorption, which overlays this water vapour absorption band. Also water vapour absorption around 376 nm was identified. Below 360 nm no water vapour absorption above 1.4 × 10−26 cm2 molec−1 was observed. The newly found absorption can have a significant impact on the spectral retrievals of absorbing trace-gas species in the spectral range around 363 nm. Its effect on the spectral analysis of O4, HONO and OClO is discussed.

Transition intensities for small molecules such as water and CO₂ can now be computed with such high accuracy that they are being used to systematically replace measurements in standard databases. These calculations use high-accuracy ab initio dipole moment surfaces and wave functions from spectroscopically determined potential energy surfaces (PESs). Here, an extra high-accuracy PES of the water molecule 16 (H₂¹₆O) is produced starting from an ab initio PES which is then refined to empirical rovibrational energy levels. Variational nuclear motion calculations using this PES reproduce the fitted energy levels with a standard deviation of 0.011 cm⁻¹, approximately three times their stated uncertainty. The use of wave functions computed with this refined PES is found to improve the predicted transition intensities for selected (problematic) transitions. A new room temperature line list for H₂¹₆O is presented. It is suggested that the associated set of line intensities is the most accurate available to date for this species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Modern theoretical chemistry'.

Water vapour is known to absorb radiation from the microwave region to the blue part of the visible spectrum with decreasing efficiency. Ab initio approaches to model individual absorption lines of the gaseous water molecule predict absorption lines up to its dissociation limit at 243nm. We present the first evidence of water vapour absorption near 363nm from field measurements using data from multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) and long-path (LP)-DOAS measurements. The identification of the absorptions was based on the recent POKAZATEL line list by Polyansky et al. (2017). For MAX-DOAS measurements, we observed absorption by water vapour in an absorption band around 363nm with optical depths of up to 2 × 10-3. The retrieved column densities from 2 months of measurement data and more than 2000 individual observations at different latitudes correlate well with simultaneously measured well-established water vapour absorptions in the blue spectral range from 452 to 499nm (R2 = 0.89), but the line intensities at around 363nm are underestimated by a factor of 2.6 ± 0.5 by the ab initio model. At a spectral resolution of 0.5nm, we derive a maximum cross section value of 2.7 × 10-27cm2molec-1 at 362.3nm. The results were independent of the used literature absorption cross section of the O4 absorption, which overlays this water vapour absorption band. Also water vapour absorption around 376nm was identified. Below 360nm no water vapour absorption above 1.4 × 10-26cm2molec-1 was observed. The newly found absorption can have a significant impact on the spectral retrievals of absorbing trace-gas species in the spectral range around 363nm. Its effect on the spectral analysis of O4, HONO and OClO is discussed.

Molecular absorption of infrared radiation is generally due to ro-vibrational electric-dipole transitions. Electric-quadrupole transitions may still occur, but they are typically a million times weaker than electric-dipole transitions, rendering their observation extremely challenging. In polyatomic or polar diatomic molecules, ro-vibrational quadrupole transitions have never been observed. Here, we report the first direct detection of quadrupole transitions in water vapor. The detected quadrupole lines have intensity largely above the standard dipole intensity cut-off of spectroscopic databases and thus are important for accurate atmospheric and astronomical remote sensing.

A new line list for H$_2$$^{16}\\(O is presented. This line list, which is called POKAZATEL, includes transitions between rotation-vibrational energy levels up to 41000 cm\\)^{-1}\\( in energy and is the most complete to date. The potential energy surface (PES) used for producing the line list was obtained by fitting a high-quality ab initio PES to experimental energy levels with energies of 41000 cm\\)^{-1}\\( and for rotational excitations up to \\)J=5\\(. The final line list comprises all energy levels up to 41000 cm\\)^{-1}\\( and rotational angular momentum \\)J$ up to 72. An accurate ab initio dipole moment surface (DMS) was used for the calculation of line intensities and reproduces high-precision experimental intensity data with an accuracy close to 1 %. The final line list uses empirical energy levels whenever they are available, to ensure that line positions are reproduced as accurately as possible. The POKAZATEL line list contains over 5 billion transitions and is available from the ExoMol website (www.exomol.com) and the CDS database.

Monitoring ozone concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere using spectroscopic methods is a major activity which undertaken both from the ground and from space. However there are long-running issues of consistency between measurements made at infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. In addition, key O\\(_3\\) IR bands at 10 \\muu, 5 \\muu\\ and 3 \\muu\\ also yield results which differ by a few percent when used for retrievals. These problems stem from the underlying laboratory measurements of the line intensities. Here we use quantum chemical techniques, first principles electronic structure and variational nuclear-motion calculations, to address this problem. A new high-accuracy \\ai\\ dipole moment surface (DMS) is computed. Several spectroscopically-determined potential energy surfaces (PESs) are constructed by fitting to empirical energy levels in the region below 7000 \\cm\\ starting from an \\ai\\ PES. Nuclear motion calculations using these new surfaces allow the unambiguous determination of the intensities of 10 \\muu\\ band transitions, and the computation of the intensities of 10 \\muu\\ and 5 \\muu\\ bands within their experimental error. A decrease in intensities within the 3 \\muu\\ is predicted which appears consistent with atmospheric retrievals. The PES and DMS form a suitable starting point both for the computation of comprehensive ozone line lists and for future calculations of electronic transition intensities

Transition intensities for small molecules such as water and CO\\(_2\\) can now be computed with such high accuracy that they are being used to systematically replace measurements in standard databases. These calculations use high accuracy ab initio dipole moment surfaces and wavefunctions from spectroscopically-determined potential energy surfaces. Here an extra high accuracy potential energy surface (PES) of the water molecule (\\hato) is produced starting from an ab initio PES which is then refined to empirical rovibrational energy levels. Variational nuclear motion calculations using this PES reproduce the fitted energy levels with a standard deviation of 0.011 \\cm, approximately three times their stated uncertainty. Use of wavefunctions computed with this refined PES is found to improve the predicted transition intensities for selected (problematic) transitions. A new room temperature line list for H2(16)O is presented. It is suggested that the associated set of line intensities is the most accurate available to date for this species.

H\\(_3^+\\) is a ubiquitous and important astronomical species whose spectrum has been observed in the interstellar medium, planets and tentatively in the remnants of supernova SN1897a. Its role as a cooler is important for gas giant planets and exoplanets, and possibly the early Universe. All this makes the spectral properties, cooling function and partition function of H\\(_3^+\\) key parameters for astronomical models and analysis. A new high-accuracy, very extensive line list for H\\(_3^+\\) called MiZATeP was computed as part of the ExoMol project alongside a temperature-dependent cooling function and partition function as well as lifetimes for %individual excited states. These data are made available in electronic form as supplementary data to this article and at http://www.exomol.com