Collisional narrowing of HF fundamental band spectral lines by neon and argon

Abstract

Collisional narrowing is observed for high J transitions in the fundamental absorption band of HF in the presence of neon and argon buffer gases, with neon providing the most pronounced Doppler width reduction. Detailed line profiles are measured using a high-resolution tunable laser difference-frequency spectrometer in order to test various collisional lineshape models. The measured lineshapes and the pressure dependence of the widths are least-squares fit in the limits of strong and weak velocity-changing collisions. Though both limits qualitatively explain the data, the systematic discrepancies indicate that an intermediate collision model would be more appropriate. In the case of HF/argon collisions, the resulting line profiles have a slight, but definite, asymmetry, implying a correlation between the velocity- and state-changing collisions.