A study of laser-acoustic air pollution monitors

Resonant Stark spectrophone as an enhanced trace level ammonia concentration detector: design and performance at CO(2) laser frequencies

A design of a Stark photoacoustic cell capable of detecting ammonia in ambient air at trace levels is discussed.

Water vapor absorption at isotopic CO2 laser wavelengths

Water vapor absorption at 161 wavelengths, from 9.2 to 11.9 micron, of the 12C1602, 13C1602, and 14CI602 lasers was measured using a resonant optoacoustic spectrometer. Results were obtained at several precisely determined vapor concentrations in a flow of pure air at a total pressure of 1 atm. Since the same apparatus and methodology were used for all measurements, a reliable assessment can be made of the relative merits of the three lasers in applications such as atmospheric propagation and ranging.

Optimal optoacoustic detector design

Optoacoustic detectors are used to measure pressure changes occurring in enclosed gases, liquids, or solids being excited by intensity or frequency modulated electromagnetic radiation. Radiation absorption spectra, collisional relaxation rates, substance compositions, and reactions can be determined from the time behavior of these pressure changes. Very successful measurements of gaseous air pollutants have, for instance, been performed by using detectors of this type together with different lasers. The measuring instrument consisting of radiation source, modulator, optoacoustic detector, etc. is often called spectrophone.In the present paper, a thorough optoacoustic detector optimization analysis based upon a review of its theory of operation is introduced. New quantitative rules and suggestions explaining how to design detectors with maximal pressure responsivity and over-all sensitivity and minimal background signal are presented.