Concentration measurements of trace gases in the atmosphere require the use of highly sensitive and precise techniques. The Fourier transform absorption spectroscopy technique is one of them heavily used for atmospheric measurements. It is currently used in all spectral regions, from the far-IR to the near-UV. The spectra recorded will be either fully resolved, showing well separated lines, or will only show absorption bands consisting of a great number of overlapping lines. The algorithm used to retrieve the concentrations of the atmospherically important molecules depends on this, as well as the resolution used to record the spectra. In both cases however, the instrumental function will modify the spectrum shape and has to be taken into account. In order to retrieve concentrations with the best possible accuracy, a thorough understanding of how the instrumental function affects line profiles or absorbances is essential.

Date Published: 16 September 1999
PDF: 18 pages
Proc. SPIE 3821, Environmental Sensing and Applications, (16 September 1999); doi: 10.1117/12.364168

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3821:
Environmental Sensing and Applications
Michel R. Carleer; Moira Hilton; Torsten Lamp; Rainer Reuter; George M. Russwurm; Klaus Schaefer; Konradin Weber; Klaus C. H. Weitkamp; Jean-Pierre Wolf; Ljuba Woppowa, Editor(s)