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Number Density Determination in the Atmosphere of O 2 , H 2 O, and CO 2 Gas Constituents by Use of a High Intensity Laser Beam
Author(s) -
Dobbins D. L.,
LaGrone A. H.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs004i005p00407
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , absorption (acoustics) , laser , wavelength , altitude (triangle) , spectral line , line (geometry) , intensity (physics) , absorption spectroscopy , atmosphere of earth , optics , computational physics , beam (structure) , number density , materials science , atomic physics , physics , analytical chemistry (journal) , environmental science , chemistry , astrophysics , meteorology , mathematics , environmental chemistry , geometry , astronomy
A method is developed whereby number densities of several of the atmospheric gas constituents can be determined as a function of altitude. The method employs two laser signals of different wavelengths, one occurring in an absorption region of the gas in consideration and one occurring in a spectral region where no absorption takes place. Returned scattered signals are collected and used along with absorption line strength and line width to determine the number density. The method described affords an indirect way of determining number densities of a specific constituent of the atmosphere by electromagnetic probing.