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Temperature-Dependent Terahertz Spectroscopy of Liquid n-alkanes

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Abstract

We describe measurements of the terahertz dielectric properties of normal alkanes. We study all of the liquid alkanes from pentane (C5) to hexadecane (C16) over the temperature range from 20–80°C, and obtain the absorption coefficients and refractive indices in the spectral range from 0.1 to 2.5 THz (3–83 cm−1). The mean molecular polarizability is found to vary linearly with chain length at all temperatures, indicating that an additive model for polarizability, with distinct contributions from the methylene groups and the methyl end groups, provides an accurate description. The absorption coefficients of these non-polar liquids, arising from transient induced dipoles, are essentially featureless in this spectral range, with an almost linear dependence on frequency and negligible temperature dependence. These results provide a baseline for far infrared spectroscopic studies of inter-molecular interactions in non-polar hydrocarbons.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported in part by the R. A. Welch Foundation, by the University of Alberta through the Alberta Innovates Technology Futures program, and by Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice University, MS-366 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA

    Jonathan P. Laib & Daniel M. Mittleman

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  1. Jonathan P. Laib
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  2. Daniel M. Mittleman
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Correspondence to Daniel M. Mittleman.

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Laib, J.P., Mittleman, D.M. Temperature-Dependent Terahertz Spectroscopy of Liquid n-alkanes. J Infrared Milli Terahz Waves 31, 1015–1021 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-010-9678-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-010-9678-0

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