view Abstract Citations (3) References Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS New identifications in the infra-red solar spectrum. Migeotte, Marcel V. Abstract Portions of the infra-red solar spectrum have been mapped, within the last six months, by using a new prism-grating spectrograph constructed by Dr. R. Noble, under the direction of Prof. H. H. Nielsen. The spectral regions from 2.8~ to 5.I~ and from 7~ to I I .7~ were recorded, under high resolving power, by using gratings having respectively 7200 and 3600 lines per inch. These new observations have led to the discovery, in January 1948, of methane in the earth's atmosphere. The identification was determined by the appearance of the 3.4~~ band of CH4 in the solar spectrum. Later on, the 7.7~ band of CH4 was also found in the solar spectrum. In a paper published in May 1948, R. McMath, 0. Mohler, and L. Goldberg3 have reported additional evidence of atmospheric methane. The new solar spectrograms also disclosed the bands of N1O at 3.9j , 4.5~, and 8.6~. The atmospheric N1O was first proposed by A. Adel4 in 1939 to explain a band appearing at 7.6~ in the prismatic solar spectrum. In 1941, the same author1 also claimed to have identified the fine structure of the 7.6~ band of N1O in the solar spectrum. However, in 1943, Sutherland and Calendar6 pointed out that the evidence of N1O, while very strong, was not entirely conclusive. Our observations prove without doubt the existence of the atmospheric N1O. Besides lines of CH4 and N1O, many other new lines have also been observed. Identifications are underway. Because of the presence of methane in the earth's atmosphere, ammonia might also be expected, since the molecules CH4 and NH3 are found existing simultaneously in other planets. One of the most intense bands of ammonia is situated in the I0.5~ region. The fine structures of the Q branches have been observed recently by R. Chapman, in this laboratory, by using the same spectrograph that was available for the solar work. A comparison has been made between the new laboratory data, the new solar spectrograms, and those obtained by A. Adel7 in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1940. From this comparison, it may be concluded that there was no evidence of ammonia in the portion of the earth's atmosphere under investigation. The work described in this paper was carried out, in part, under Contract W~~-o38-ac-~~~85 between the Air Materiel Command Wright- Patterson Air Force Base and the Ohio State University Research Foundation. I.Phys. Rev. 73, 519, ~948; Ap. J. 107, 400, 1948. 2.Phys. Rev. 74, 112, 1948. 3.Phys. Rev. 73, 1204, 1948. 4.Ap. J. 90, 627, 1939. 5.Ap. J. 93, 509, 1941. 6.Reports on Progress in Physics, 9, 18, 1943. 7.Ap. J. 94, 451, 1941. Institut d'Astrophysique de Cointe, University of Liege, Belgium, temporarily at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Publication: The Astronomical Journal Pub Date: 1948 DOI: 10.1086/106165 Bibcode: 1948AJ.....54R..45M full text sources ADS |