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Opto–acoustic study of weak optical absorption of liquid methane

Abstract

The first opto-acoustic absorption spectra of liquid methane at 94 K in the region of 5,500–7,500 Å is reported here. The observed absorption bands are very weak with peak absorption coefficients of 16 × 10−3 to 1 × 10−4 cm−1 and are of importance in the study of spectra of outer planets (such as Jupiter and Neptune) for detecting the existence of liquid methane on these planets.

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patel, C., Nelson, E. & Kerl, R. Opto–acoustic study of weak optical absorption of liquid methane. Nature 286, 368–370 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/286368a0

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