Zeeman-tuned laser detects air pollution

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · Microwaves; (United States)

OSTI ID:5445617

The application of a continuous-wave, Zeeman-tuned xenon laser in the spectrophotometric detection of such ambient air pollutants as nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, peroxyacetyl nitrate, carbon monoxide, ozone, and formaldehyde is described. Such measurements can be conducted over a long optical path passing through polluted air or in the laboratory. The magnetic tuning of the xenon device permits the comparison between xenon laser lines and pollutant-gas absorption lines. The ratio is fed into a data processing system (an autolock amplifier, a direct current reference amplifier, a digital ratiometer, and a chart recorder) to determine the amount of pollution. Relative concentrations of formaldehyde, for example, of less than 10 to the minus 7 appear to be detectable with present equipment operating over a 15-kilometer round-trip path through the atmosphere.

• OSTI ID: 5445617
• Journal Information: Microwaves; (United States), Journal Name: Microwaves; (United States) Vol. 12:2; ISSN MCRWA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ALDEHYDES
AMPLIFIERS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DC AMPLIFIERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
FORMALDEHYDE
GAS LASERS
LASERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEASURING METHODS
NITRATES
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
POLLUTION
RARE GASES
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
USES
XENON
ZEEMAN EFFECT