Quantitative comparisons of absorption cross-section spectra and integrated intensities of HFC-143a

•Large discrepancies exist between authors on the absorption spectra of HFC-143a.•We present new cross-section spectra of a pure vapour at 263, 273 and 283 K.•The data were compared to literature values.•Total integrated intensities in the highest range are the most consistent.•The radiative efficiency of HFC-143a should be revised upward.

The integrated absorption cross-sections of HFC-143a (CH3CF3) differ substantially in the literature. This leads to an important uncertainty on the value of the radiative efficiency of this molecule. The ambiguity on the absorption cross-sections of HFC-143a is highlighted by the existence of two significantly different datasets in the HITRAN database. To solve the issue, we performed high-resolution Fourier transform infrared laboratory measurements of HFC-13a and compared the spectra with the two HITRAN datasets and with the data from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The experimental methods and data analysis techniques are examined and typical sources of errors are discussed. The integrated intensities of the main bands are compared to other literature values. It was found that the integrated absorption cross-section values in the highest range - around 13.8×10−17cm.molecule−1 in the 570-1500 cm−1 spectral band - show the most consistency between authors.