K-BAND SPECTRUM OF WATER IN SUNSPOTS

The infrared spectrum of a sunspot, published in the form of an atlas by Wallace & Livingston, is analysed in the 2.17-1.96 mu m (4600-5100 cm(-1)) region where most of the transitions are due to hot water. Ass ignments are made using variational nuclear motion calculations based on a high-level ab initio electronic surface for water, with allowance for both adiabatic and nonadiabatic corrections to the Born-Oppenheim er approximation. 485 new lines are assigned to transitions in 10 vibr ational bands, Only two of these vibrational bands have been previousl y identified. Newly assigned bands include the (061)-(050) and (071)-( 060) vibrational transitions, for which even the lower vibrational lev els had not been previously characterized. Assignments are made to lev els as high as similar to 17,000 K above the origin.