Understanding the high-resolution spectral signature of the N₂–H₂O van der Waals complex in the 2OH stretch region Available to Purchase

We present the observation of the N₂–H₂O van der Waals complex in the 2OH stretch overtone region. The high-resolution jet cooled spectra were measured using a sensitive continuous wave cavity ringdown spectrometer. Several bands were observed and vibrationally assigned in terms of ν₁, ν₂, and ν₃, the vibrational quantum numbers of the isolated H₂O molecule, as $(ν1′ν2′ν3′)←(ν1″ν2″ν3″)=(200)←(000)$ and (101) ← (000). A combination band involving the excitation of the in-plane bending motion of N₂ and the (101) vibration of water is also reported. The spectra were analyzed using a set of four asymmetric top rotors, each associated with a nuclear spin isomer. Several local perturbations of the (101) vibrational state were observed. These perturbations were assigned to the presence of the nearby (200) vibrational state and to the combination of (200) with intermolecular modes.