NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
A Laser-Induced Fluorescence Instrument for Aircraft Measurements of Sulfur Dioxide in the Upper Troposphere and Lower StratosphereThis work describes the development and testing of a new instrument for in situ measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on airborne platforms in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The instrument is based on the laser-induced fluorescence technique and uses the fifth harmonic of a tunable fiber-amplified semiconductor diode laser system at 1084.5 nm to excite SO2 at 216.9 nm. Sensitivity and background checks are achieved in flight by additions of SO2 calibration gas and zero air, respectively. Aircraft demonstration was performed during the NASA Volcano Plume Investigation Readiness and Gas-Phase and Aerosol Sulfur (VIRGAS) experiment, which was a series of flights using the NASA WB-57F during October 2015 based at Ellington Field and Harlingen, Texas. During these flights, the instrument successfully measured SO2 in the UTLS at background (non-volcanic) conditions with a precision of 2 ppt at 10 s and an overall uncertainty determined primarily by instrument drifts of +/- (16% + 0.9 ppt).
Document ID
20170003581
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Rollins, Andrew W.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Thornberry, Troy D.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Ciciora, Steven J.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
McLaughlin, Richard J.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Watts, Laurel A.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Hanisco, Thomas F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Baumann, Esther
(National Bureau of Standards Boulder, CO, United States)
Giorgetta, Fabrizio R.
(National Bureau of Standards Boulder, CO, United States)
Bui, Thaopaul V.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Fahey, David W.
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
April 17, 2017
Publication Date
September 20, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Atmospheric Measurements Techniques
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
ISSN: 1867-1381
e-ISSN: 1867-8548
Subject Category
Geosciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN41640
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
tunable fiber-amplified semiconductor diode laser system

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available