Progress of research on water vapor lidar

Research is described on several aspects of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of 532 nm laser light in H2, D2, and CH4. The goals of this work are to develop a more thorough understanding of nonlinear processes involving the Raman effect and four-wave mixing, and to find the best way to generate radiation at several wavelengths simultaneously, for lidar applications. Issues addressed are conversion efficiency, optimization of operating conditions (gas pressure, confocal parameter, etc.) and the distribution of output pulse energy over three Stokes components, the first anti-Stokes component, and the zeroth order (pump) wavelength. The described research and results constitute another step in the development of SRS applications for NASA's atmospheric lidar program

Shock Tube Spectroscopy at Chromospheric Temperatures Research Progress Report, Oct. 1965 - Jul. 1966

Spectroscopic experiments with gas-driven shock tube - technical developments, redundant measurements of plasma state, and atomic line strengths for neutral carbo

Plasma spectroscopy of uranium and tungsten, part 1

Results of research on uranium and tungsten spectra are summarized. Measurements of visible line spectra and opacities were carried out on shock tube plasmas which, prior to shock compression, were mixtures of rare gases and UF6 or WF6. Opacities were compared to theoretical predictions. Feasibility of light source methods other than the shock tube was explored for future applications in the spectroscopy of heavy metals and ions

Atmospheric lidar research applying to H2O, O2 and aerosols

Experimental research on a near infrared tunable dye laser was reported, and theoretical simulations were presented for various lidar configurations. The visible and nearinfrared wavelengths considered were suitable for observations of aerosols, water vapor, molecular oxygen pressure and temperature in the troposphere and above. The first phase of development work was described on a ruby pumped, tunable dye laser for the wavelength region 715 to 740 nanometers. Lidar simulations were summarized for measurements of H2O and for two color lidar observations of aerosols in the atmosphere

Strength, Width, and Pressure Shift Measurements of 54 Lines in the Oxygen A-Band

The absorption band of molecular oxygen, centered at 760]en1] nm, is the atmospheric absorber for the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) systems used to measure atmospheric temperature, pressure, and density. To provide accurate line parameters for such systems, a careful spectroscopic study was made of the A-band, with measurements of line strengths, widths, pressure-induced frequency shifts, and collisional narrowing effects. The width and shift parameters were measured over a temperature range of -20 to 100 C so that the temperature dependence of these parameters can also be determined. To analyze the results, a least-squares fiting routine was written to fit standard line profiles to the observed profiles. These measurements, which include the first observations of pressure shifts and collisional narrowing in the band, are an important contribution to lidar system utilizing the A-band

Lidar temperature profiling: Performance simulations of Masons method

Several methods of using lasers to measure atmospheric temperature profiles were described. Mason's suggestion was analyzed here to assess its capabilities for various lidar configurations. Temperatures were inferred from a measure of the Boltzmann distribution of rotational states in one of the vibrational bands of O2. Differential absorption was measured using three tunable, narrowband pulsed lasers. The outputs of two were tuned to wavelengths at the centers of absorption lines at either end of a particular branch in the band. The third wave-length was in a region of no absorption; its lidar return measured only the atmospheric backscatter, and therefore allowed calculations of the absorption coefficients at the other two wavelengths as a function of altitude. From the ratio of the two line absorption coefficients plus a priori knowledge of the line parameters, the temperature-altitude profile were calculated

Multiaxial analyzer detects low-energy electrons

Three curved plate energy analyzers coupled with three electron multiplier tubes detect and measure low energy electron flux in several directions simultaneously

Water vapor lidar

The feasibility was studied of measuring atmospheric water vapor by means of a tunable lidar operated from the space shuttle. The specific method evaluated was differential absorption, a two-color method in which the atmospheric path of interest is traversed by two laser pulses. Results are reported

Tunable lasers for water vapor measurements and other lidar applications

A tunable dye laser suitable for differential absorption (DIAL) measurements of water vapor in the troposphere was constructed. A multi-pass absorption cell for calibration was also constructed for use in atmospheric DIAL measurements of water vapor

Measured optical absorption coefficients for uranium plasmas

Absolute emissivities of uranium plasmas in gas driven shock tub