430 Table 143 



ABSORPTION COEFFICIENTS OF OXYGEN 



Table 143 gives, values of the "decimal" absorption coefficient of molecular oxygen, 2 , 

 in the region 0.13-0.24^, the region of meteorological interest. The values have been taken 

 from a curve by Craig 1 based on the investigations of Ladenburg, 2 Buisson et al., 3 

 Granath, 4 and Gotz and Maier-Leibnitz. 5 Craig states that pressure dependence is negligible 

 at wave lengths up to about 0.175/t, but that Heilpern* has found a marked pressure 

 dependence in the region of 0.214m and above. 



The "decimal" absorption coefficient a and the "Naperian" absorption coefficient k are 

 defined' by the following expressions 



h = U 10— = hxe-" x 



where hx is the initial intensity of a parallel beam of radiation of wave length in the 

 neighborhood of X and I\ is the intensity after passing through a layer of oxygen x 

 centimeters thick at normal pressure and temperature (0 C C. and 760 mm. Hg.) ; e is the 

 base of the natural logarithms. Values of a are tabulated, and corresponding values of 

 k may be obtained from the relationship 



k = a loge 10 = 2.3026a. 



1 Craig, R. A., The observations and photochemistry of atmospheric ozone and their meteorological 

 significance, Sc. D. dissertation, M. I. T., 1948. 



2 Ladenburg, R., and Van Voorhis, C. C, Phys. Rev., vol. 43, p. 315, 1933. 



3 Buisson, H., Jausserau, C, and Rouard, P., Rev. d'Optique, vol. 12, p. 70, 1933. 

 1 Granath, L. P., Phys. Rev., vol. 34, p. 1045, 1929. 



5 Gotz, F. W. P., and Maier-Leibnitz, H., Zeitschr. Geophys., vol. 9, p. 253, 1933. 

 8 Heilpern, W., Helv. Phys. Acta., vol. 14, p. 329, 1941. 



SMITHSONIAN METEOROLOGICAL TABLES 



