Ultraviolet (250-550 nm) absorption spectrum of pure water

Data for the spectral light absorption of pure water from 250 to 550 nm have been obtained using an integrating cavity made from a newly developed diffuse reflector with a very high UV reflectivity. The data provide the first scattering-independent measurements of absorption coefficients in the spectral gap between well-established literature values for the absorption coefficients in the visible (>400 nm) and UV (<200 nm). A minimum in the absorption coefficient has been observed in the UV at 344 nm; the value is 0.000811 +/- 0.000227 m(-1). (C) 2016 Optical Society of America