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Air monitoring by spectroscopic techniques

01 Jan 1994-
TL;DR: Sigrist et al. as mentioned in this paper proposed the use of a Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy for Atmospheric Measurements (H. Schiff, et al.).
Abstract: Introduction to Environmental Sensing (M. Sigrist). Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) (U. Platt). Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) (S. Svanberg). Air Monitoring by Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (M. Sigrist). The Use of Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy for Atmospheric Measurements (H. Schiff, et al.). Gas Measurement in the Fundamental Infrared Region (P. Hanst & S. Hanst). Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy in Atmospheric Chemistry (D. Griffith). Index.
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the basis for each technique, recent developments in methods and performance limitations, and present a performance comparison of different techniques, taking data reported over the preceding decade, and draw conclusions from this benchmarking.
Abstract: The detection and measurement of gas concentrations using the characteristic optical absorption of the gas species is important for both understanding and monitoring a variety of phenomena from industrial processes to environmental change. This study reviews the field, covering several individual gas detection techniques including non-dispersive infrared, spectrophotometry, tunable diode laser spectroscopy and photoacoustic spectroscopy. We present the basis for each technique, recent developments in methods and performance limitations. The technology available to support this field, in terms of key components such as light sources and gas cells, has advanced rapidly in recent years and we discuss these new developments. Finally, we present a performance comparison of different techniques, taking data reported over the preceding decade, and draw conclusions from this benchmarking.

1,293 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
16 May 1997-Science
TL;DR: OH, NO3, and O3 are shown to play a central role in the formation and fate of airborne toxic chemicals, mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and fine particles.
Abstract: Tropospheric air pollution has impacts on scales ranging from local to global. Reactive intermediates in the oxidation of mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) play central roles: the hydroxyl radical (OH), during the day; the nitrate radical (NO3), at night; and ozone (O3), which contributes during the day and night. Halogen atoms can also play a role during the day. Here the implications of the complex VOC-NOx chemistry for O3 control are discussed. In addition, OH, NO3, and O3 are shown to play a central role in the formation and fate of airborne toxic chemicals, mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and fine particles.

1,065 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used Mie theory for spherical particles and with more complicated numerical methods for other particle shapes to calculate aerosol light absorption in the atmosphere, which contributes to solar radiative forcing through absorption of solar radiation and heating of the absorbing aerosol layer.
Abstract: Light absorption by aerosols contributes to solar radiative forcing through absorption of solar radiation and heating of the absorbing aerosol layer. Besides the direct radiative effect, the heating can evaporate clouds and change the atmospheric dynamics. Aerosol light absorption in the atmosphere is dominated by black carbon (BC) with additional, significant contributions from the still poorly understood brown carbon and from mineral dust. Sources of these absorbing aerosols include biomass burning and other combustion processes and dust entrainment. For particles much smaller than the wavelength of incident light, absorption is proportional to the particle volume and mass. Absorption can be calculated with Mie theory for spherical particles and with more complicated numerical methods for other particle shapes. The quantitative measurement of aerosol light absorption is still a challenge. Simple, commonly used filter measurements are prone to measurement artifacts due to particle concentration and modification of particle and filter morphology upon particle deposition, optical interaction of deposited particles and filter medium, and poor angular integration of light scattered by deposited particles. In situ methods measure particle absorption with the particles in their natural suspended state and therefore are not prone to effects related to particle deposition and concentration on filters. Photoacoustic and refractive index-based measurements rely on the heating of particles during light absorption, which, for power-modulated light sources, causes an acoustic signal and modulation of the refractive index in the air surrounding the particles that can be quantified with a microphone and an interferometer, respectively. These methods may suffer from some interference due to light-induced particle evaporation. Laser-induced incandescence also monitors particle heating upon absorption, but heats absorbing particles to much higher temperatures to quantify BC mass from the thermal radiation emitted by the heated particles. Extinction-minus-scattering techniques have limited sensitivity for measuring aerosol light absorption unless the very long absorption paths of cavity ring-down techniques are used. Systematic errors can be dominated by truncation errors in the scattering measurement for large particles or by subtraction errors for high single scattering albedo particles. Remote sensing techniques are essential for global monitoring of aerosol light absorption. While local column-integrated measurements of aerosol light absorption with sun and sky radiometers are routinely done, global satellite measurements are so far largely limited to determining a semi-quantitative UV absorption index.

702 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed review of the performance of quantum cascade (QC) laser can be found, where the inter-subband transition is characterized through ultrafast carrier dynamics and the absence of the linewidth enhancement factor, with both features expected to have significant impact on laser performance.
Abstract: Quantum cascade (`QC') lasers are reviewed. These are semiconductor injection lasers based on intersubband transitions in a multiple-quantum-well (QW) heterostructure, designed by means of band-structure engineering and grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The intersubband nature of the optical transition has several key advantages. First, the emission wavelength is primarily a function of the QW thickness. This characteristic allows choosing well-understood and reliable semiconductors for the generation of light in a wavelength range unrelated to the material's energy bandgap. Second, a cascade process in which multiple - often several tens of - photons are generated per electron becomes feasible, as the electron remains inside the conduction band throughout its traversal of the active region. This cascading process is behind the intrinsic high-power capabilities of the lasers. Finally, intersubband transitions are characterized through an ultrafast carrier dynamics and the absence of the linewidth enhancement factor, with both features being expected to have significant impact on laser performance. The first experimental demonstration by Faist et al in 1994 described a QC-laser emitting at 4.3 µm wavelength at cryogenic temperatures only. Since then, the lasers' performance has greatly improved, including operation spanning the mid- to far-infrared wavelength range from 3.5 to 24 µm, peak power levels in the Watt range and above-room-temperature (RT) pulsed operation for wavelengths from 4.5 to 16 µm. Three distinct designs of the active region, the so-called `vertical' and `diagonal' transition as well as the `superlattice' active regions, respectively, have emerged, and are used either with conventional dielectric or surface-plasmon waveguides. Fabricated as distributed feedback lasers they provide continuously tunable single-mode emission in the mid-infrared wavelength range. This feature together with the high optical peak power and RT operation makes QC-lasers a prime choice for narrow-band light sources in mid-infrared trace gas sensing applications. Finally, a manifestation of the high-speed capabilities can be seen in actively and passively mode-locked QC-lasers, where pulses as short as a few picoseconds with a repetition rate around 10 GHz have been measured.

637 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the theoretical and practical aspects of high-Q and low-Q resonators and their integration into complete photoacoustic detection systems for trace gas monitoring and metrology are covered in detail.
Abstract: The application of different types of acoustic resonators such as pipes, cylinders, and spheres in photoacoustics is considered. This includes a discussion of the fundamental properties of these resonant cavities. Modulated and pulsed laser excitation of acoustic modes is discussed. The theoretical and practical aspects of high-Q and low-Q resonators and their integration into complete photoacoustic detection systems for trace gas monitoring and metrology are covered in detail. The characteristics of the available laser sources and the performance of the photoacoustic resonators, such as signal amplification, are discussed. Setup properties and noise features are considered in detail. This review is intended to give newcomers the information needed to design and construct state-of-the-art photoacoustic detectors for specific purposes such as trace gas analysis, spectroscopy, and metrology.

621 citations