TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF COLLISION-INDUCED ABSORPTION IN GASEOUS N2

Measurements of the absorption in compressed nitrogen gas in the spectral region 20-200 cm** minus **1 have been made at temperatures of 200, 293, 320, and 353 K. Values of the electric quadrupole moment Q//N////2 of the nitrogen molecules are determined from the results using two different analytical methods, at each of these temperatures, yielding an average value of (1. 3+360. 2) multiplied by 10** minus **2**6 esucm**2. The data are then applied in a study of the far-infrared transmission of the upper atmosphere at a mean temperature of 220 K, where it is shown that up to 8% absorption can occur in a vertical path above 12 km, while over a near-horizontal path from this level the absorption can be 40% or greater. Such results are of importance to atmospheric and astronomical measurements in the 100 cm** minus **1 region.