Existing laboratory measurements of the far-infrared collision-induced spectra of gaseous nitrogen at temperatures from 124 to 300 K are analyzed on the basis of quantum line shapes computed from a suitable, advanced isotropic potential and multipole-induced dipole functions. The input is chosen to represent most closely the measurements at all temperatures and over the full range of frequencies. Simple analytical expressions are specified which represent the spectral profiles closely. It is thus possible to reproduce the collision-induced absorption spectra of nitrogen effortlessly in seconds at temperatures from 50 to 300 K on small computers, even in the far wings which never have been modeled from a quantum formalism before. The work thus gives new and reliable spectral intensities and their temperature dependence for a detailed analysis of the Voyager IRIS spectra of Titan's atmosphere.

The collision-induced rotational translational spectrum of gaseous N₂ has been measured in the temperature range 228–343 K at six different temperatures. The measurements were made with a Fourier transform spectrometer in the 25 to 360 cm⁻¹ region and at 15.1 and 84.2 cm⁻¹ with far infrared (FIR) laser. Previously obtained microwave data at 2.3 and 4.7 cm⁻¹ have been used in defining the complete spectrum. Using a recently developed theory for quadrupolar-induced absorption, we find that the calculated quadrupole moment is independent of temperature and has a magnitude in close agreement with the recommended values of several other workers; i.e., Q = 1.46 B. The calculated value depends on the particular form of the intermolecular potential and this dependence is examined in some detail. A contribution to the absorption originating primarily from hexadecapolar and overlap induction has been observed in agreement with theoretical estimates and leads to an estimated value for the hexadecapolar moment φ=3.4*10^-42 esu cm⁴.