Abstract

An application of the well-known Prony's method is made in the representation of the mean molecular transmittance over a spectral band in the infrared region, with a summation of exponential terms. The method was found to be reliable, direct, and accurate when it was used with computer-simulated transmittance spectra, for six temperature-retrieval channels of the Nimbus-5 spectrometer in the 15 μm CO₂ band. The results indicate that for typical atmospheric absorber concentrations, only two, five, and six terms are generally needed for modeling O₃, CO₂, and H₂O vapor with a transmittance accuracy of one in the fourth decimal place. This accuracy is compatible with the limitations imposed by uncertainties in the present knowledge of line parameters and is of the order obtained with polynomial-type band models having a much higher number of terms.

Numerical methods of band modeling and their application to atmospheric nitrous oxide

John M. Jarem, Joseph H. Pierluissi, and Michael Maragoudakis
Appl. Opt. 23(3) 406-410 (1984)

Validated transmittance band model for SO₂ in the infrared

Joseph H. Pierluissi, John M. Jarem, and Christos Maragoudakis
Appl. Opt. 23(19) 3325-3330 (1984)

Validated transmittance band model for atmospheric nitrous oxide in the infrared

Joseph H. Pierluissi, John M. Jarem, and Wai-Lam W. Ng
Appl. Opt. 23(3) 402-405 (1984)

Validated band model for NO₂ molecular transmittance in the infrared

Joseph H. Pierluissi and Ken Tomiyama
Appl. Opt. 22(11) 1628-1632 (1983)

Molecular transmittance band model for ammonia

Joseph H. Pierluissi and Christos E. Maragoudakis
Appl. Opt. 25(7) 1145-1148 (1986)