Understanding global infrared opacity and hot bands of greenhouse molecules with low vibrational modes from first-principles calculations: the case of CF4

Fluorine containing molecules have a particularly long atmospheric lifetime and their very big estimated global warming potentials are expected to rapidly increase in the future. This work is focused on the global theoretical prediction of infrared spectra of the tetrafluoromethane molecule that is considered as a potentially powerful greenhouse gas having the largest estimated lifetime of over 50 000 years in the atmosphere. The presence of relatively low vibrational frequencies makes the Boltzmann population of the excited levels important. Consequently, the “hot bands” corresponding to transitions among excited rovibrational states contribute significantly to the CF4 opacity in the infrared even at room temperature conditions but the existing laboratory data analyses are not sufficiently complete. In this work, we construct the first accurate and complete ab initio based line lists for CF4 in the range 0–4000 cm−1, containing rovibrational bands that are the most active in absorption. An efficient basis set compression method was applied to predict more than 700 new bands and subbands via variational nuclear motion calculations. We show that already at room temperature a quasi-continuum of overlapping weak lines appears in the CF4 infrared spectra due to the increasing density of bands and transitions. In order to converge the infrared opacity at room temperature, it was necessary to include a high rotational quantum number up to J = 80 resulting in 2 billion rovibrational transitions. In order to make the cross-section simulation faster, we have partitioned our data into two parts: (a) strong & medium line lists with lower energy levels for calculation of selective absorption features that can be used at various temperatures and (b) compressed “super-line” libraries of very weak transitions contributing to the quasi-continuum modelling. Comparisons with raw previously unassigned experimental spectra showed a very good accuracy for integrated absorbance in the entire range of the reported spectra predictions. The data obtained in this work will be made available through the TheoReTS information system (http://theorets.univ-reims.fr, http://theorets.tsu.ru) that contains ab initio born line lists and provides a user-friendly graphical interface for a fast simulation of the CF4 absorption cross-sections and radiance under various temperature conditions from 80 K to 400 K

Modelling of the 2ν1-ν1 and ν1 band transitions of 13CH4 using high resolution Raman spectroscopy measurements

The pump-probe technique for investigating vibrationally excited states via high 13 resolution Raman spectroscopy was applied to CH4 methane isotopologue. The dipole transitions between A1 totally symmetric vibrational states are not active in IR spectra but these states can be efficiently studied using selective high resolution Raman spectroscopy. 80 vibration-rotation transitions, most of which belong to the 2ν1– ν1 band have been assigned in the observed Raman spectra reported in this work. Including the Raman transitions in the simultaneous data fit improves the accuracy of the effective Hamiltonian and also rovibrational upper state levels of the ν1, 2ν1 and 2ν3 (A1) bands. A more accurate model of the ν1 vibration-rotation transitions improves the interpretation of the temperature dependence of Raman spectra involving the Pentad and Tetradecad polyads

Preliminary analysis of the interacting pentad bands (ν2+2ν4,ν2+ν3,4ν2,ν1+2ν2,2ν1) of CF4 in the 16000-1800cm-1 region

The Fourier transform spectrum of CF4 in the 1600–1800 cm−1 was recorded in Reims by using a White-type multi-pass cell to provide a path length of 8.262 m. In the present work, all spectrum analyses and fits were realized using the MIRS software based on tetrahedral tensorial formalism. By combining non-empirical contact transformation Hamiltonians for line positions and ab initio ro-vibrational normal-mode predictions for line intensities, we are able to achieve a simultaneous fit of effective Hamiltonian and dipole moment parameters of several cold and hot bands of CF4. Hamiltonian operator was expanded up to the sixth order for the ground state and for the {ν2+2ν4,ν2+ν3,4ν2,ν1+2ν2,2ν1} pentad. 1831 line positions were fitted to RMS of 1.5X10−3 cm−1. The standard deviation for line intensities for the cold bands {ν2+2ν4,ν2+ν3,4ν2,ν1+2ν2,2ν1} is of 1.1% and of 8% and 5% for the hot band transitions {2ν2+2ν4−ν2,2ν2+ν3−ν2} and {ν2+3ν4−ν4,ν2+ν3+ν4−ν4}, respectively