The Effect of Collisional Line Broadening on the Spectrum and Fluxes of Thermal Radiation in the Lower Atmosphere of Venus

Abstract

The absorption spectrum and thermal radiation fluxes are calculated for the lower atmosphere of Venus in the far-wing approximation based on the theory of the collisional broadening of spectral lines. The results are in good agreement with the available experimental data. An outgoing thermal radiation flux is about 2.6 W/m2 near the planetary surface. This indicates that free convection significantly contributes to the thermal balance of the lower troposphere. The fluxes obtained in this study were compared to those calculated on the basis of empirical models of the spectral line profile. It was shown that the far wings of the CO2 lines considerably affect the radiative transfer in the transparency windows. This effect becomes weaker when the contribution of the absorption of minor constituents, primarily water vapor, increases. The profiles of absorption lines of minor constituents do not influence the thermal radiation fluxes.