Experimental and theoretical investigation on pressure-broadening and pressure-shifting of the 22.2 GHz line of water

Since water is a fundamental component of the atmosphere and it is well established that the accuracy of collisional broadening parameters has a crucial influence on reduction of remote sensing data, we decided to investigate the self-, N2- and O2-broadening parameters of the J=61,6←52,3 (22.2 GHz) rotational transition of water in the temperature range 296-338 K. Due to the relevance of this water line, this investigation should be considered of particular interest in monitoring the Earth's atmosphere, and therefore a particular effort has been made in order to reduce instrumental as well as systematic errors. Experimental determinations have also been supported by theoretical calculations.