Rotation spectra, infrared

Birnbaum G. Quantized rotational motion in liquids Far infrared rotational spectrum of HF and NH3 in liquid SF6, Mol. Phys. 25, 241-5 (1973). 

The chemistry of all of these molecules is fascinating but, concentrating on the origins of life, a detailed look at the organic species is appropriate to see what molecules are present and how they might have been formed. The only alkane detected directly in the ISM is methane but this is due to the problem of detection. All alkanes are non-polar and so do not have a pure rotation spectrum. However, there is one allowed vibration of methane that is infrared active and with the low moment of inertia of methane the vibration-rotation spectrum can be observed and a rotational progression identifies the molecule with confidence. 

Vibrational transitions (e.g., vo-vx) require more energy than rotational transitions and this amount of energy is generally found in the infrared region of the spectrum. Infrared spectra have sharp peaks with some width to them. 

Infrared radiation of frequencies less than about 100 cm-1 is absorbed and converted by an organic molecule into energy of molecular rotation. This absorption is quantized thus a molecular rotation spectrum consists of discrete lines. 

Not all vibrations and rotations are infrared-active. If there is no change in dipole moment, then there is no oscillating electric field in the motion, and there is no mechanism by which absorption of electromagnetic radiation can take place. An oscillation, or vibration, about a center of symmetry, therefore, will not be observed in the infrared spectrum (absorption) but can be observed in the Raman spectrum (scattering). 

The a3 n state of CO was first identified through its ultraviolet emission spectrum to the ground state, producing what are now known as the Cameron bands [160, 161, 162], Its radioffequency spectrum was then described by Klemperer and his colleagues in a classic series of molecular beam electric resonance experiments. Its microwave rotational spectrum was measured by Saykally, Dixon, Anderson, Szanto and Woods [163], and the far-infrared laser magnetic resonance spectrum was recorded by Saykally, Evenson, Comben and Brown [164], In the infrared region both electronic... 

We conclude this section on modulation spectrometers by describing a particularly novel and important method, known as velocity modulation, which was originally developed by Gudeman, Begemann, Pfaff and Saykally [10]. It applies specifically to ionic species, and has been used primarily to study the infrared vibration-rotation spectra of molecular ions. If we need an excuse to include it in this book, however, it is provided by Matsushima, Oka and Takagi [11] who used the method to study the far-infrared rotational spectrum of the HeH+ ion. 

The Raman spectrum of gases can now also be recorded with Fourier-Transform Raman spectrometers with near infrared excitation (Dyer and Hendra, 1992). Fig. 4.3-19 shows a survey spectrum of air obtained in 4 hours of sampling time (Bruker, 1993). The region of the rotational spectrum is presented on an expanded scale in Fig. 4.3-20, it can be compared with Fig. 4.3-18. The intensities of the lines below about 80 cm are weakened by the Rayleigh line suppression filter and the resolution is limited to 1 cm", mainly by the laser used for excitation. 

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