A Multi-Wavelength CRDS Instrument for the In Situ Measurement of Atmospheric Optical Absorption

Los Gatos Research, Inc. (LGR) proposes to develop a field deployable instrument to measure in situ atmospheric absorption of aerosol samples via simultaneous determination of extinction and scattering coefficients at multiple wavelengths. The prototype will be rack mountable for use on research aircraft or ships, compact, robust, and capable of simultaneously measuring aerosol extinction and scattering coefficients to 0.1 Mm-1 at three wavelengths with a 1 second sampling rate. This highly innovative and unique instrument, based on cavity-enhanced laser spectroscopy, will operate autonomously and continuously stream data for storage or downlink. By significantly increasing the speed, sensitivity, and accuracy of in situ aerosol optical property measurements, this instrument will enhance studies of atmospheric aerosols and provide valuable data critical to the elucidation of aerosol effects on the radiative balance of Earth's atmosphere. This instrument will also provide information which will aid in the interpretation of data acquired by existing methods such as lidars, radiometers, and laser scatter probes. Data from this instrument will also be of great use in determining how in situ measurements compare to remote sensing measurements.