Abstract

Far infrared spectra of the stratosphere contain numerous thermal emission lines which can be used to measure the abundance of a number of important molecules. We report here measurements of stratospheric H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁷O, H₂¹⁸O, HDO, and the ozone species ¹⁶O¹⁶O¹⁶O, ¹⁶O¹⁸O¹⁶O, and ¹⁸O¹⁶O¹⁶O. The data were taken during the second flight of our far infrared spectrometer (FIRS-2), May 12-13 1988, and cover the altitude range 20-50 kilometers. The largest single source of error in these measurements is the uncertainty in the line broadening parameters, which emphasizes the need for more accurate determinations of spectral line parameters.

© 1990 Optical Society of America