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Photoacoustic Spectrometer for Accurate, Continuous Measurements of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration

Published

Author(s)

Joseph T. Hodges, Zachary D. Reed, Brent A. Sperling, Roger D. van Zee, James R. Whetstone, Keith A. Gillis

Abstract

We have developed a portable photoacoustic spectrometer that offers routine, precise and accurate measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide mixing ratios. The spectrometer is temperature controlled, continuously samples and dries atmospheric air, and employs an intensity-modulated distributed feedback laser and fiber amplifier operating near 1.57 µm. For measurements of carbon dioxide mixing ratio in air, we demonstrate a measurement precision (60 s averaging time) of 0.15 µmol mol-1 and achieve a standard uncertainty of 0.8 mol mol-1 by calibrating the analyzer response in terms of certified gas mixtures. We also investigate how water vapor affects the photo-acoustic signal by promoting collisional relaxation of the carbon dioxide.
Citation
Applied Physics B
Volume
117
Issue
2

Keywords

photoacoustic, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas

Citation

Hodges, J. , Reed, Z. , Sperling, B. , van, R. , Whetstone, J. and Gillis, K. (2014), Photoacoustic Spectrometer for Accurate, Continuous Measurements of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration, Applied Physics B, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=915516 (Accessed April 26, 2024)
Created June 19, 2014, Updated February 19, 2017