A near-infrared Fourier-transform planar supersonic jet spectrometer for rovibrational studies of weakly bound dimers and trimers

Abstract

A high-resolution FTIR supersonic slit jet absorption spectrometer is described for the investigation of weakly bound dimers and trimers in the near-infrared spectral region. The spectrometer is demonstrated to conservatively have a sensitivity of 6×108 molecules/cc/state and can be operated at an apodized resolution of 0.004 cm−1. To illustrate the performance of the spectrometer, it has been applied to the rovibrational analysis of the band spectra of three weakly bound species in the near infrared: ν1 OC–HF, ν1 N2–HCl, and ν5 (H35Cl)3. The recorded spectra of these species are compared with corresponding investigations using state-of-the-art tunable infrared laser supersonic jet or molecular-beam spectrometers to illustrate the capabilities and limitations of the current FTIR supersonic jet spectrometer.