Absorption Spectrum of Oxygen at High Pressures and the Existence of O4 Molecules

Abstract

At high pressures gaseous oxygen exhibits a large number of absorption bands between 12610 and 2200 A., similar to those of the liquid1. In order to establish the nature of these bands one of us together with Finkelnburg2 commenced about three years ago to measure the dependence of the intensity of absorption at high pressures on the oxygen concentration and on the presence of foreign gases. Some results have already been published2,3. We now wish to report briefly on the most important recent results, since all the bands have now been classified in the ways described below, and because the absorption spectrum of oxygen has been investigated by other workers4,5. The complete account of this work with the relevant data will appear shortly in Zeitschrift fur Physik.