Miniaturized Ultraviolet Absorption Ozonesonde for Small Aerial Platforms

The measurement of ozone is one of the most critical atmospheric chemistry measurements made in the study of the Earth's atmosphere. The depletion of stratospheric ozone and the photochemical production of tropospheric ozone from pollutants are two major areas of study which demand accurate, high-resolution ozone data. QEI Technologies, Inc. proposes to develop a next-generation ultraviolet absorption photometer for mounting on small aerial platforms. The compact, single-beam photometer will be based on earlier designs developed by the Principal Investigator for use on tethered and sounding balloons. The new design, in keeping with the philosophy of the earlier single-beam designs, will offer performance matching heavier, more expensive double-beam instruments while greatly reducing size and power consumption. In contrast with electrochemical sondes, the ultraviolet technique offers far greater precision as well as immunity to interferences from virtually all other atmospheric species at typical concentrations. Phase I work will involve constructing one prototype to demonstrate a range of design improvements over earlier versions. Phase II will involve design refinement and extensive field tests with several instruments.