Empirical methane (CH_4_) line list

We report on the first high-resolution laboratory absorption spectra of hot methane at temperatures up to 1200K. Our observations are compared to the latest theoretical spectral predictions and recent brown dwarf spectra.

The expectation that millions of weak absorption lines combine to form a continuum, not seen at room temperature, is confirmed. Our high-resolution transmittance spectra account for both the emission and absorption of methane at elevated temperatures. From these spectra, we obtain an empirical line list and continuum that is able to account for the absorption of methane in high temperature environments at both high and low resolution.