The infrared absorption spectra of the CO monomer isolated in solid N2have been recorded at various temperatures between 4.5 and 30 K.The absorption features of the fundamental stretching mode show its linewidth and matrix-induced frequency shift to be weakly temperature-dependent.As the temperature of the matrix was raised,an increase in the linewidth together with a redshift in the central frequency was observed.These observations were explained in terms of the quenching of the CO rotational states by the N2matrix into closely-lying librational states.A quantitative model was then used to calculate the energy difference between these librational states.Results show that they can be thermally populated through the absorption of matrix phonons.