LABORATORY INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF CRYSTALLINE NITRILES WITH RELEVANCE TO OUTER PLANETARY SYSTEMS

Complex refractive indices, n and k, and integrated absorption coeffic ients of strong bands were determined for thin crystalline films of ac etonitrile (CH3CN), propionitrile (CH3CH2CN), acrylonitrile (CH2CHCN), hydrogen cyanide (HCN) cyanogen (C2N2), cyanoacetylene (HC3N), dicyan oacetylene (C4N2) and cyanopropyne (CH3C3N) at 35 and 95 K in the regi on 5000-80 cm(-1) (2-125 mu m). This was done using an iterative Krame rs-Kronig analysis. Integrated absorption coefficients for strong band s of these crystalline nitriles were also determined. These data, alon g with infrared data from future space missions such as the Infrared S pace Observatory and Cassini, will help in the identification and quan tification of crystalline nitriles on Titan and other outer planetary bodies. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.