title: Atmospheric ray path modeling for radiative transfer algorithms.
abstract: A new method for the determination of ray paths as well as resulting path segments and partial gas columns within a layered atmosphere is presented. Any singularity at the tangent point is avoided. No use is made of the gross spherical symmetry of the Earth's atmosphere. Using this approach we examine the impact of the Earth's oblate shape and horizontal atmospheric inhomogeneities on infrared limb spectra.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany. frank.hase@imk.fzk.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hase
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höpfner