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At least 289 records · Page 16

Atomic and molecular fluorescence as a stratospheric species monitor

The results of an investigation are presented evaluating the potential of atomic and molecular fluorescence as a stratospheric monitor of the concentrations of any one of 18 minor species: Cl, Cl2, ClO, ClO2, CO, H2, HCHO, HCl, HNO2, HNO3, H2S, NH3, NO, NO2, N2O, O, OH, and SO2. All spectral regions from the vacuum ultraviolet through the infrared were included. It was found that suitable systems can be constructed for the stratospheric monitoring of CO (5 ppb), NO2 (less than 1 ppb), OH (0.2 ppt), and O (50-200 ppt). The fluorescence sensitivities for Cl (0.5-1.0 ppt), H2 (0.2 ppm at 10 torr) and SO2 (1-10 ppb) are marginally insufficient with current technology.

Schofield, K.↗

Reevaluation of the Apollo orbital X-ray fluorescence data

A combination of Al/Mg ratios and Al/Si ratios has provided high-quality geochemical and geological information from the Apollo orbital X-ray fluorescence data. The high sensitivity of the characteristic Si X-rays to alterations in the energy spectra of the solar X-ray flux limits the analytical usefulness of the ratios involving Si. A photometric study indicates that the Si concentration in lunar materials varies by less than about + or - 15% of the Si present. In addition, particle size and surface roughness are shown to have small effects on the characteristic fluorescent X-ray radiation of Si.

Hubbard, N. J.↗

Bowen fluorescence in the solar transition region

In Bowen fluorescence, a 304-A photon of He II is converted into two optical photons and an EUV photon of O III. The fluorescent contribution to the intensity of the O III 374-A line is a measure of the column density of O III in the solar transition region. Division of the column density into the emission measure derived from other lines of O III allows determination of the electron density. The accuracy of this technique is roughly a factor of 2, which is comparable to the accuracy of the density diagnostics for the solar transition region.

Raymond, J. C.↗

Illumination-dependent changes in the intrinsic fluorescence of bacteriorhodopsin

The paper describes the intrinsic UV fluorescence of bacteriorhodopsin in some detail and determines the changes during the rapid cyclic reaction following light flashes. The results suggest that several tryptophan residues are affected in the protein, among them one or more exposed to aqueous medium. The kinetics of the fluorescence changes coincide closely with events involving the retinal residue during the deprotonation and reprotonation of the Schiff base group.

Bogomolni, R. A.↗

An aircraft compatible laser induced fluorescence system - In situ and remote measurements of trace gases

The laser-induced fluorescence technique for obtaining direct measurements of atmospheric OH and other gases is described. A narrow-band UV laser is tuned to one or more of the electronic absorption bands of a specified molecule so as to cause fluorescence from a bonding excited electronic state. The monitored wavelength is longer than the laser wavelength. Equipment, specifics for OH detection, data processing, and interference are discussed, and application of the technique to the detection of NO, SO2, and CH2O is considered.

Davis, D. D.↗

Lyman-alpha and Balmer-series fluorescence from hydrogen photofragments of H2O vapor

Production cross sections associated with the atomic hydrogen Lyman-alpha and Balmer-series (3-9 to 2) fluorescence observed in H2O photodissociation are measured, and maximum fluorescence production cross sections for the two series are reported. Repulsive potential energy curves corresponding to the respective pseudodiatomic OH-H(n) molecule are constructed according to the Franck-Condon principle, and the efficiencies for converting H(2S) to H(2P) by H2 collisions and by H2O collisions are estimated. The data are considered with reference to cometary photochemistry.

Wu, C. Y. R.↗

Estimation of the depth of sunlight penetration in natural waters for the remote sensing of chlorophyll a via in vivo fluorescence

In attempting to measure remotely the constituents of the ocean through spectral analysis of diffusely reflected sunlight, it is important to know the depth over which constituent concentrations can be estimated. Recently, considerable interest has been generated in the use of sunlight-excited fluorescence of chlorophyll a contained in photoplankton (in vivo) to determine remotely the chlorophyll a concentration in surface waters. In the present paper an estimate is provided for the depth to which chlorophyll a concentration can be determined from observations of the fluorescence.

Gordon, H. R.↗

Fluorescent radiation converter

Fluorescent radiation converter used optically transparent substrate. One side of substrate is coated with plastic film containing fluorescent organic dyes that absorb optical radiation at one wavelength and emit it at longer one. Coating is formulated to respond to specific wavelengths. Emitted radiation is reflected internally inside substrate, amplifying intensity that reaches radiation detector. Converter can be made in several shapes and size; round and square bars coated all round their lengths are useful in converting relatively intense radiation and transmitting it through substrate over lengthy distances.

Viehmann, W.↗

Two-photon excitation of nitric oxide fluorescence as a temperature indicator in unsteady gas-dynamic processes

A laser induced fluorescence technique, suitable for measuring fluctuating temperatures in cold turbulent flows containing very low concentrations of nitric oxide is described. Temperatures below 300 K may be resolved with signal to noise ratios greater than 50 to 1 using high peak power, tunable dye lasers. The method relies on the two photon excitation of selected ro-vibronic transitions. The analysis includes the effects of fluorescence quenching and shows the technique to be effective at all densities below ambient. Signal to noise ratio estimates are based on a preliminary measurement of the two photon absorptivity for a selected rotational transition in the NO gamma (0,0) band.

Mckenzie, R. L.↗

A laser flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence kinetics study of the reaction Cl/2P/ + CH4 yields CH3 + HCl

The technique of laser flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence is employed to study the kinetics of the reaction Cl(2P) + CH4 yields CH3 + HCl over the temperature range 221-375 K. At temperatures less than or equal to 241 K the apparent bimolecular rate constant is found to be dependent upon the identity of the chemically inert gases in the reaction mixture. For Cl2/CH4/He reaction mixtures (total pressure = 50 torr) different bimolecular rate constants are measured at low and high methane concentrations. For Cl2/CH4/CCl/He and Cl2/CH4/Ar reaction mixtures, the bimolecular rate constant is independent of methane concentration, being approximately equal to the rate constant measured at low methane concentrations for Cl2/CH4/He mixtures. These rate constants are in good agreement with previous results obtained using the discharge flow-resonance fluorescence and competitive chlorination techniques. At 298 K the measured bimolecular rate constant is independent of the identity of the chemically inert gases in the reaction mixture and in good agreement with all previous investigations. The low-temperature results obtained in this investigation and all previous investigations can be rationalized in terms of a model which assumes that the Cl(2P 1/2) state reacts with CH4 much faster than the Cl(2P 3/2) state. Extrapolation of this model to higher temperatures, however, is not straightforward.

Ravishankara, A. R.↗

Zeeman degeneracy effects in collisional intense-field resonance fluorescence

Resonance fluorescence due to intense laser fields from a Zeeman degenerate atom being perturbed by collisional interactions is calculated in the impact regime by using the quantum-fluctuation-regression theorem. Various interesting effects are found. For example, the scattered intensity spectrum for a J = 0 to J = 1 transition for polarization parallel to the laser polarization is essentially an asymmetric triplet, whereas for a perpendicular polarization due to collisions the spectrum is essentially a doublet (whose frequencies do not correspond with any of those of the triplet). Further, the width of the fluorescent component (whose frequency is close to the unperturbed frequency) actually decreases with increasing laser power.

Cooper, J.↗

Fluorescence lidar

The physics of fluorescence lidar is reviewed, with emphasis placed on understanding the features which determine its applicability to particular species and environments. The successful applications of fluorescence lidar to date are covered, and a range of proposed measurements is considered. Attention is given to stratospheric applications.

Mcllrath, T. J.↗

Velocity measurements by laser resonance fluorescence

The photonburst correlation method was used to detect single atoms in a buffer gas. Real time flow velocity measurements with laser induced resonance fluorescence from single or multiple atoms was demonstrated and this method was investigated as a tool for wind tunnel flow measurement. Investigations show that single atoms and their real time diffusional motion on a buffer gas can be measured by resonance fluorescence. By averaging over many atoms, flow velocities up to 88 m/s were measured in a time of 0.5 sec. It is expected that higher flow speeds can be measured and that the measurement time can be reduced by a factor of 10 or more by careful experimental design. The method is clearly not ready for incorporation in high speed wind tunnels because it is not yet known whether the stray light level will be higher or lower, and it is not known what detection efficiency can be obtained in a wind tunnel situation.

She, C. Y.↗

Airborne simultaneous spectroscopic detection of laser-induced water Raman backscatter and fluorescence from chlorophyll a and other naturally occurring pigments

The airborne laser-induced spectral emission bands obtained simultaneously from water Raman backscatter and the fluorescence of chlorophyll and other naturally occurring waterborne pigments are reported here for the first time. The importance of this type data lies not only in its single-shot multispectral character but also in the application of the Raman line for correction or calibration of the spatial variation of the laser penetration depth without the need for in situ water attenuation measurements. The entire laser-induced fluorescence and Raman scatter emissions resulting from each separate 532-nm 10-nsec laser pulse are collected and spectrally dispersed in a diffraction grating spectrometer having forty photomultiplier tube detectors. Results from field experiments conducted in the North Sea and the Chesapeake Bay/Potomac River are presented. Difficulties involving the multispectral resolution of the induced emissions are addressed, and feasible solutions are suggested together with new instrument configurations and future research directions.

Hoge, F. E.↗

Investigation of laser-induced iodine fluorescence for the measurement of density in compressible flows

Laser induced fluorescence is an attractive nonintrusive approach for measuring molecular number density in compressible flows although this technique does not produce a signal that is directly related to the number density. Saturation and frequency detuned excitation are explored as means for minimizing the quenching effect using iodine as the molecular system because of its convenient absorption spectrum. Saturation experiments indicate that with available continuous wave laser sources of Gaussian transverse intensity distribution only partial saturation could be achieved in iodine at the pressures of interest in gas dynamics. Using a fluorescence lineshape theory, it is shown that for sufficiently large detuning of a narrow bandwidth laser from a molecular transition, the quenching can be cancelled by collisional broadening over a large range of pressures and temperatures. Experimental data obtained in a Mach 4.3 underexpanded jet of nitrogen seeded with iodine for various single mode argon laser detunings from a strong iodine transition at 5145 A are discussed.

Mcdaniel, J. C., Jr.↗

Quantitative absorption and fluorescence study of CO from 1060 to 1550 A

Measurement of the photoabsorption cross section of CO in the 1060-1550 A region using synchrotron radiation is described. The oscillator strengths for the transitions from CO (Chi1Sigma+ to various excited states are obtained from these data. Fluorescence from excited CO was observed in the 1150 to 3000 A and 3000 to 8000 A regions. The quantum yields for the production of fluroescence from the Alpha(1)P and B(1)Sigma(+) states are unity because their excitation energies are below the dissociation limit. The C(1)Sigma(+) , v = O level has significant fluorescence quantum yields both in the UV and visible region, but the yields for the E(1)Pi, v = O and C(1)Sigma(+), v = 1 levels are very small. The C(1)Sigma(+), v = 1 level is presumably predissociated. The cross sections for the production of fluroescence from the a'(3)Sigma(+), d(3)Delta sub 1, e(3)Sigma(-) yields a(3)Pi, and B(1)Sigma(+), C(1)Sigma(+) yields A(1)Pi transitions upon excitation from the X(1)Sigma(+) were measured.

Lee, L. C.↗

In-flight propeller flow visualization using fluorescent minitufts

Extension of fluorescent minutuft method to in-flight flow visualization on propellers is described. Extremely thin nylon monofilament for the minitufts, is used in a process of attaching them to the test surface with small drops of lacquer-like adhesive, and the use of fluorescence photography for recording the minituft patterns. Using this method, thousands of minitufts can be applied to small, high speed wind tunnel models without affecting the airflow. The minitufts can remain in place throughout a wind tunnel test, permitting nonintrusive flow visualization data to be acquired at any time.

Crowder, J. P.↗

Containerless high temperature property measurements by atomic fluorescence

Laser induced fluorescence techniques were developed for the containerless study of high temperature processes, material properties, levitation, and heating techniques for containerless earth-based experimentation. Experiments were performed in which fluorescence of atomic aluminum, mercury, or tungsten were studied. These experiments include measurements of: (1) Al atom evaporation from CW CO2 laser heated and aerodynamically levitated sapphire and alumina spheres, and self-supported sapphire filaments, (2) Al atom reaction with ambient oxygen in the wake of a levitated specimen, (3) Hg atom concentrations in the wake of levitated alumina and sapphire spheres, relative to the ambient Hg atom concentration, (4) Hg atom concentrations in supersonic levitation jets, and (5) metastable, electronically excited W atom concentrations produced by evaporation of an electrically heated tungsten filament.

Nordine, P. C.↗