This award is a Research Planning Grant. The goal of the work is to test, develop, and select suitable computational methods capable of describing accurately the collision induced absorption spectra of pairs of anisotropic molecules. Two molecular systems, N2-CH4 and CO2-CO2, will be selected for their significance in planetary sciences and because of the availability of reliable laboratory measurements. The physical processes responsible for the observed spectra of these molecules must be identified first. Next computational methods will be tested. Reliable, yet efficient and economical methods of computing the collision induced absorption spectra must be selected. Once this objective is reached such spectra may be modeled with the accuracy required by the astrophysical applications. Dr. Borysow plans to develop an on- going cooperation and an active participation in the utilization of her computational results in research in planetary sciences.
