INFINITE-ORDER SUDDEN CALCULATION OF RAMAN Q-BRANCH LINEWIDTHS FOR H2O+H2O

The infinite order sudden (IOS) approximation is extended to calculate rate constants for rotationally inelastic scattering between two H2O molecules. A modified version of the breathing sphere (BS) approximation, which has previously been shown to work reasonably well for N2 + N2 rotationally inelastic scattering, is also extended to H2O + H2O scattering. The rate constants obtained using both approximations are used to determine Raman Q-branch spectral linewidths. In order to calculate such linewidths, it is necessary to sum the rate constants for any initial rotational level over all final inelastic rotational levels. While the IOS linewidths are in reasonable agreement with experiment over a range of temperatures, the IOS-BS linewidths are much too small.