Vol. 13, issue 12, article # 3

Abstract:

Based on the experimental data obtained along extended paths under field conditions and in a laboratory cell, it is shown that the minimum values of the extinction coefficient in the spectral region of 0.44-11.5 μm nonlinearly depend on the absolute humidity of air. It is proposed that the physical nature of this effect is absorption of radiation by weakly bound molecular complexes of water vapor. The obtained absorption coefficients have a neutral behavior in the visible and near IR spectral regions and increase toward longer waves. In terms of the square dependence on the absolute humidity, their values are about 0.000 090-0.000 145 km^-1 g^-2 m⁶.