The absorption spectrum of water between 13 540 and 14 070 cm−1: ICLAS detection of weak lines and a complete line list

Abstract The absorption spectrum of water vapor has been investigated by Intracavity Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (ICLAS) between 13 540 and 14 070 cm −1 . This spectrum is dominated by relatively strong transitions of the 4 δ polyad of vibrational states. The achieved sensitivity – on the order of α min  ∼ 10 −9  cm −1 – has allowed one to newly measure 222 very weak transitions with intensities down to 5 × 10 −28  cm/molecule at 296 K. Fifty new or corrected H 2 16 O energy levels belonging to a total of 13 vibrational states could be determined from the rovibrational analysis based on variational calculations by Schwenke and Partridge. The previous investigations in the region by Fourier Transform Spectroscopy were critically evaluated and used to construct the best to date set of energy levels accessed by transitions in the considered region. All the rovibrational transitions reaching these upper energy levels and having intensities larger than 4.0 × 10 −28  cm/mol were calculated. In the resulting line list, the positions at the level of experimental accuracy were augmented with variational intensities leading to the most complete line list for water in normal isotopic abundance in the 13 500–14 100 cm −1 region.