The HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database is an important source of opacity data used for characterizing and modelling radiative processes in planetary/exoplanetary atmospheres as well as protoplanetary disks. The database provides spectroscopic data for numerous molecules and collisional pairs, and the recently-released quadrennial HITRAN2024 edition significantly expands its versatility in applications to (exo)planetary research.
In particular, the line-by-line section of the database expands the spectral coverage and improve the accuracy of spectral parameters for many molecules, with new molecules/isotopologues added (including H3+ molecular ion, CH3 radical, and S3 ) In addition, the number of molecules represented as experimental absorption cross-sections was substantially expanded (increasing to over 600 species) for HITRAN2024 by including new (to HITRAN) molecules that have been measured in different laboratories around the globe. The database of collision-induced absorption data for different collisional pairs was also expanded substantially. Finally, the water vapor continuum model has been introduced to the database for the first time.
The HITRAN2024 edition provides many benefits for future characterization of protoplanetary disks and planetary atmospheres, and this presentation will outline some of its most important highlights.
