Infrared extinction spectra of aerosols with relevance to planetary and lunar atmospheres: I. Single-component aerosols

Abstract

Mid-infrared extinction spectra (500–6000 cm−1) of a series of single-component aerosolparticle ensembles representative of those found in a range of planetary and lunar atmospheres are presented. The aerosols were generated in the laboratory via condensation from the gas phase in a bath gas cooling cell, and the spectra recorded using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. This paper is the first in a series aimed towards building a spectral database for use in remote sensing of aerosols. The aerosol substances included here are methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, ethylene, acetylene, carbon dioxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide.