Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Hoell, J. M., Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to Hoell, J. M., Jr..

28 records · Page 2

An experiment concept to measure stratospheric trace constituents by laser heterodyne spectroscopy

Laser heterodyne spectroscopy (LHS) techniques were used to measure radical gases from Spacelab. Major emphasis was placed on the measurement of ClO, ClOnO2, HO2, H2O2, N2O5, and HOCl in solar occultation with vertical resolution less than or equal to 2-km and vertical range from 1O to 70-km. Sensitivity analyses were performed on ClO and O3 to determine design criteria for the LHS instrument. Results indicate that O3 and ClO vertical profiles can be measured with an accuracy more than or equal to 95% and more than or equal to 80%, respectively, over the total profile.

Allario, F.↗

Remote sensing of atmospheric SO2 using the differential absorption LIDAR technique

The paper reports an investigation of the capabilities of a UV differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system for remote measurements of sulfur dioxide emissions. Two features of the present DIAL system are an absorption cell permitting the determination of the difference in SO2 absorption coefficients for the two transmitted wavelengths and a calibration cell permitting the linearity and performance of the system to be evaluated. The DIAL technique is described along with the transmitter, receiver, data-adquisition, and data-processing components of the investigated system. Quantitative measurements of the average SO2 concentration in a region surrounding the exhaust stack of a steam-generating plant are discussed which show that the present system has measurement sensitivities of 10 ppb at a range of 0.8 km and 20 ppb at 1.9 km. Based on performance characteristics obtained during a calibration of this system, it is predicted that a measurement sensitivity of less than 4 ppb over a 1-km path will be attained.

Hoell, J. M., Jr.↗

Computer simulation of an aircraft-based differential absorption and scattering system for retrieval of SO2 vertical profiles

The feasibility of using the differential absorption and scattering technique from aircraft altitudes for remotely measuring the vertical distribution of SO2 was studied via a computer simulation. Particular care was taken in this simulation to use system parameters (i.e., laser energy, telescope size, etc.) which can be accommodated on an aircraft and can be realized with commercially available technology. The vertical molecular and aerosol profiles were chosen to simulate the types of profiles which might be experienced over a large city. Results are presented on the retrieval of the assumed SO2 profile which show the effects of systematic errors due to interfering gases and aerosols, as well as random errors due to shot noise in the return signal, detector and background noise, and instrument-generated noise.

Hoell, J. M., Jr.↗

Measurements of SO2 absorption coefficients using a tunable dye laser

High-resolution measurements of SO2 absorption coefficients in the UV are presented in the wavelength interval between 2962 and 3011 A using a frequency-doubled dye laser as the radiation source. These measurements have application to pollution monitoring of SO2 using the differential absorption scattering (DAS) technique. The spectral resolution of the measurements was 0.2 A (determined by the linewidth of the dye laser) and the generated spectra exhibited considerable rotational structure on the (000) double prime to (060) prime, (070) prime, and (080) prime electronic-vibrational transitions. The latter transitions correspond to center wavelengths of 3001.8, 2981.0, and 2962 A, respectively. The laser measurements were obtained with a signal-processing technique which eliminated calibration procedures associated with conventional optical-absorption measurements. Using this technique, the statistical uncertainty associated with measured absorption coefficients has been reduced to less than plus or minus 2% with a wavelength uncertainty of the laser source of plus or minus 0.1 A.

Thompson, R. T., Jr.↗