FTS GENERALIZED APPARATUS FUNCTION

A general analytical expression is proposed for the apparatus function of any Fourier transform spectrometer, which takes into account the t hroughput, a possible slight asymmetry of the line profiles due to a r esidual phase error, as also a chromatic variation of the radiant ener gy received by the detectors during the recording of the interferogram . An experimental example is used to exhibit the large errors appearin g in the retrieved line intensities and collisional widths when one an alyzes the observed line profiles with the classical apparatus functio n, instead of the generalized expression given in this paper. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.