Computer measurement of line strengths with application to the methane spectrum
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Margolis, J. S..
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The present investigation is concerned with the application of a pressure modulated radiometer (PMR) to the remote sensing of trace amounts of gases in the atmospheres as well as to the direct measurement of upper atmospheric winds. The PMR operates as a gas correlation spectrometer. Compared to conventional gas correlation parameters, it has some advantages which are related to greater versatility and the employment of a simpler method for maintaining electrical/optical balance. The PMR has a high sensitivity in connection with its essentially very high effective resolution. It represents a passive system and emits no radiation. A PMR is flown on Nimbus 6 which was launched in 1975. The instrument has also been used on the Nimbus 7 satellite and the Tiros N satellite.
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An electronically controllable apparatus is described which modulates a continuous wave laser beam so as to produce an output beam consisting of coherent pulses that are electronically controllable as to both pulse repetition rate and pulse width. The apparatus includes two acoustic devices positioned so that the laser beam passes through them in sequence, and apparatus for passing sound waves through the devices to frequency shift the laser radiation as well as to diffract it. Each acoustic device generates sound waves containing a group of frequencies which result in spaced pulses. The first acoustic device is countered by the second acoustic device to produce a collimated, coherently pulsed, laser beam.
HD spectra was studied in the UV about as thoroughly as those of H2. The vibration-rotation line positions are known. However, the theory does not do well in calculating the absorption strengths. These tend to be stronger than the quadrupole strengths for H2 and so more lines were measured. The state of knowledge of the HD line positions of vibration-rotation constants is summarized. The HD absorption strength measurements are also summarized. A summary of absorption strengths for HD is tabulated.
The C-12:C-13 ratios in the atmospheres of the outer planets are important parameters with which to test models for isotope formation and fractionation during the early history of the solar system, yielding insight into processes occurring in the primitive solar nebula. The 3 ny sub 3 spectra of methane were obtained using the Kitt Peak Solar Fourier Transform Spectrometer and a 6 m White cell. The experimental results are summarized in a table. The strength ratios for the R-branch of 3 ny sub 3 exhibit strong anomalies, with C-13H4 lines consistently weaker than their C-12H4 counterparts. The C-12:C-13 abundance ratios for the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn have been redetermined using the 3 ny sub 3 line-strength ratios measured.
A new edition of the AFGL trace gas compilation is now available. Absorption line parameters of positions, intensities, and half-widths are given for the major bands of thirteen gases covering the spectral region from 0 to 10,000/cm. In addition to updating the original gases (NO, SO2, NO2, and NH3), the molecules HNO3, OH, HF, HCl, HBr, HI, ClO, OCS, and H2CO have been added to the compilation. The sources for the additions and modifications are described.
An optoacoustic detector for gas analysis is implemented with Stark effect cell modulation for switching a beam in and out of coincidence with a spectral line of a constituent gas in order to eliminate the heating effect of laser energy in the cell as a source of background noise. By using a multiline laser, and linearly sweeping the DC bias voltage while exciting the cell with a multiline laser, it is possible to obtain a spectrum from which to determine the combinations of excited constituents and determine their concentrations in parts per million.
Doppler-shift spectrometer makes remote satellite measurements of atmospheric wind velocity and temperature at specified altitudes. As in correlation spectrometer, spectrum of gas in reference cell and spectrum of same gas in atmosphere are correlated both in emission and absorption.
A method and apparatus are described for frequency modulating radiation, such as from a laser, for optoacoustic detectors, interferometers, heterodyne spectrometers, and similar devices. Two oppositely reciprocating cats-eye retroreflectors are used to Doppler modulate the radiation. By reciprocally moving both retroreflectors, the center of mass is maintained constant to permit smooth operation at many Hertz. By slightly offsetting the axis of one retroreflector relative to the other, multiple passes of a light beam may be achieved for greater Doppler shifts with the same reciprocating motion of the retroreflectors.
Sensitivity and measuring capability of optoacoustic gas analyzer (spectrophone) are enhanced by combining differential monitoring stark modulation.
Modified optoacoustic gas detector identifies gases by measuring pressure-induced voltage charge in electric signals. Can detect water vapor, atmospheric fluorocarbons, or certain nitrous or nitric compounds that indicate presence of explosives.
Spectrophone, using continuous laser beam, operates at lower noise levels and thus detects trace amounts of gases with greater sensitivity.
Stark modulation of the absorbed laser radiation in an optoacoustic detector (or spectrophone) is reported. Measurements were made over a range of total pressure between 760 Torr and 50 Torr. Greatly enhanced molecular discrimination is suggested due to the tuning ability of the Stark-shifted absorption. The background signal obtained by operating in this mode is more than 500 times smaller than that obtained by operating the same optoacoustic detector in the conventional chopped radiation mode. The responsivity of the optoacoustic detector and the absorption coefficient of C2H4 are presented as a function of total pressure.
A spectrum of Jupiter in the two-micron region has been analyzed to determine the Jovian ammonia abundance. The result is approximately 4 cm-amagat, assuming an airmass factor of 2.5 and a single effective reflecting layer for this wavelength. This is compared with the abundances observed at other wavelengths.
Spectral lines of gas sample are modulated by electric field in optoacoustic gas analyzer. Pressure fluctuations caused by local heating of absorbing gas are picked up by microphone. Since laser is operated in continuous-wave (CW) mode, background noise due to heating of windows is eliminated.
Results are presented for two laboratory measurements of the intensity and central frequency of the (4, 0) S(1) quadrupole line of H2, which were made at pressures of 2.658 and 1.494 atm through a 0.456-km path length. It is found that the absolute line intensity is significantly lower than the value predicted from theoretical matrix elements but is essentially identical to the value derived by Rank et al. (1966). The central-frequency results are shown to verify the pressure shift predicted by McKellar (1974). It is concluded that hydrogen abundances estimated from the equivalent width of the (4,0) S(1) quadrupole line in the spectra of the outer planets will have to be revised upward by nearly a factor of 2.
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