Cavity ring-down spectroscopy of singlet oxygen generated in microwave plasma

Calculation of electric quadrupole linestrengths for diatomic molecules: Application to the H2, CO, HF, and O2 molecules

We present a unified variational treatment of the electric quadrupole (E2) matrix elements, Einstein coefficients, and linestrengths for general open-shell diatomic molecules in the general purpose diatomic code Duo. Transformation relations between the Cartesian representation (typically used in electronic structure calculations) to the tensorial representation (required for spectroscopic applications) of the electric quadrupole moment components are derived. The implementation has been validated against accurate theoretical calculations and experimental measurements of quadrupole intensities of ¹H₂ available in the literature. We also present accurate electronic structure calculations of the electric quadrupole moment functions for the X¹Σ⁺ electronic states of CO and HF, as well as for the a¹Δ_g-b¹Σ_g ⁺ quadrupole transition moment of O₂ with the MRCI level of theory. Accurate infrared E2 line lists for ¹²C¹⁶O and ¹H¹⁹F are provided. A demonstration of spectroscopic applications is presented by simulating E2 spectra for ¹²C¹⁶O, H¹⁹F, and ¹⁶O₂ (Noxon a¹Δ_g-b¹Σ_g ⁺ band).

Real-Time Measurements of Gas-Phase Trichloramine (NCl3) in an Indoor Aquatic Center

NCl₃ is formed as a disinfection byproduct in chlorinated swimming pools and can partition between the liquid and gas phases. Exposure to gas-phase NCl₃ has been linked to asthma and can irritate the eyes and respiratory airways, thereby affecting the health and athletic performance of swimmers. This study involved an investigation of the spatiotemporal dynamics of gas-phase NCl₃ in an aquatic center during a collegiate swim meet. Real-time (up to 1 Hz) measurements of gas-phase NCl₃ were made via a novel on-line derivatization cavity ring-down spectrometer and a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Significant temporal variations in gas-phase NCl₃ and CO₂ concentrations were observed across varying time scales, from seconds to hours. Gas-phase NCl₃ concentrations increased with the number of active swimmers due to swimming-enhanced liquid-to-gas transfer of NCl₃, with peak concentrations between 116 and 226 ppb. Strong correlations between concentrations of gas-phase NCl₃ with concentrations of CO₂ and water (relative humidity) were found and attributed to similar features in their physical transport processes in pool air. A vertical gradient in gas-phase NCl₃ concentrations was periodically observed above the water surface, demonstrating that swimmers can be exposed to elevated levels of NCl₃ beyond those measured in the bulk air.

Note: A very simple circuit for piezo actuator pseudo-tracking for continuous-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy

A very simple circuit for pseudo-tracking of the piezo actuator for continuous-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (cw-CRDS) is presented. The circuit is based on an ordinary positive-edge trigger D-type flip flop integrated circuit, has a low parts count, and can be easily assembled using only off the shelf components. The circuit can be straightforwardly incorporated into most cw-CRDS setups and, thanks to the increased ring-down event rate, higher sensitivity or lower data acquisition time can be achieved.