Microwave Emission Spectra of Atmospheric O₂ Molecules relation to 3K Cosmic Background Radiation

367-369The earth along with its atmosphere is embedded in a remnant 3K cosmic background radiation (CBR). The constituent molecules of the terrestrial atmosphere will interact with the low energy (~10-4 eV) photons of the CBR. These photons can excite the rotational transition of O2 (3 ) molecules present at various atmospheric layers of the earth. Microwave absorption in O2 molecule is studied and four lines are obtained in the neighbourhood of 0.5 cm. The absolute intensities of these lines are calculated with a view to obtaining its emission spectra at higher temperatures of the atmospheric layers under local thermodynamic equilibrium. It is suggested that these emission spectra will be ideal for the study of effect of the 3K CBR on the atmospheric O2 molecules