Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) hasn\u2019t been widely used in environmental monitoring applications because of its susceptibility to vibrations, which can greatly reduce its sensitivity. While a lab environment may be vibration-free, it\u2019s unlikely in the field where vibrations can occur due to any number of factors, including passing cars and air currents. <\/p>\n
A team of scientists from Adelphi University, however, has found a way of correcting the technique for vibrational effects, meaning CRDS could be deployed into the field as a means of ultra-sensitive detection of nitrogen dioxide and other gases for the first time.<\/p>\n
Using a high-powered broadband laser, the scientists were able to show that if the laser and cavity resonance used in CRDS experienced vibration, the resonance of the cavity used in the ring-down time would shift to the resonance of one of the other wavelengths the broadband laser was emitting, stabilizing the reading. <\/p>\n
Use of the new CRDS method could be faster and more sensitive than the current method. It could potentially be used to measure ultra-low levels of nitrogen dioxide and other gases like methane, ammonia and sulfur dioxide, all important pollutants.<\/p>\n
Top image:\u00a0Experimental setup for ultrasensitive real-time trace gas sensor using a high power multimode diode laser and cavity ringdown spectroscopy. (Credit: Adelphi University)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) hasn\u2019t been widely used in environmental monitoring applications because of its susceptibility to vibrations, which can greatly reduce its sensitivity. While a lab environment may be vibration-free, it\u2019s unlikely in the field where vibrations can occur due to any number of factors, including passing cars and air currents. A team of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":25796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[444,345,103],"class_list":["post-25800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-atmosphere","category-news","tag-adelphi-university","tag-earth-atmosphere","tag-news-2"],"remote_post_permalink":false,"remote_post_featured_image":false,"yoast_head":"\n