POLARIZABILITY ALPHA(OMEGA, T, SIGMA) OF SMALL MOLECULES IN THE GAS-PHASE

The dependence of the mean dipole polarizability alpha(omega, T, rho) of small molecules in the gas phase on electromagnetic radiation frequency omega, temperature T, and molar density rho is discussed. Experimental results are presented for the noble gases, the molecular gases H-2, N2, O2, CO2, CH4, C(CH3)4, CH3OH, CF2Cl2, and the gas mixture air. Hints to some rather unusual effects concerning alpha(omega, T, rho) are given, too. In each case alpha(omega, T, rho) was derived from precise interferometric measurements of the refractive index n(omega, T, rho) of the gas in the visible (VIS) frequency range.