Nitrate radicals and biogenic volatile organic compounds: oxidation, mechanisms, and organic aerosol.

Oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) by the nitrate radical (NO) represents one of the important interactions between anthropogenic emissions related to combustion and natural emissions from the biosphere. This interaction has been recognized for more than 3 decades, during which time a large body of research has emerged from laboratory, field, and modeling studies. NO-BVOC reactions influence air quality, climate and visibility through regional and global budgets for reactive nitrogen (particularly organic nitrates), ozone, and organic aerosol.

Megacity emissions and lifetimes of nitrogen oxides probed from space.

Megacities are immense sources of air pollutants, with large impacts on air quality and climate. However, emission inventories in many of them still are highly uncertain, particularly in developing countries. Satellite observations allow top-down estimates of emissions to be made for nitrogen oxides (NO(x) = NO + NO(2)), but require poorly quantified a priori information on the NO(x) lifetime.

Design of differential optical absorption spectroscopy long-path telescopes based on fiber optics.

We present a new design principle of telescopes for use in the spectral investigation of the atmosphere and the detection of atmospheric trace gases with the long-path differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. A combination of emitting and receiving fibers in a single bundle replaces the commonly used coaxial-Newton-type combination of receiving and transmitting telescope. This very simplified setup offers a higher light throughput and simpler adjustment and allows smaller instruments, which are easier to handle and more portable.

Bichromatic method for identification of clear-sky scenarios over ground pixel viewed from space.

We propose a method for identifying clear-sky scenarios from a measurement time series over satellite-observed ground pixels of unknown surface albedo and aerosol type. The lack of a general monotonic relationship between aerosol loading and observed reflectance encumbers the ordering of the observation time series according to aerosol loading. This problem is ameliorated by using two wavelengths at which the surface albedos are known to differ.

Observation of halogen species in the Amundsen Gulf, Arctic, by active long-path differential optical absorption spectroscopy.

In the polar tropospheric boundary layer, reactive halogen species (RHS) are responsible for ozone depletion as well as the oxidation of elemental mercury and dimethyl sulphide. After polar sunrise, air masses enriched in reactive bromine cover areas of several million square kilometers. Still, the source and release mechanisms of halogens are not completely understood.

Long-term measurements of NO(3) radical at a semiarid urban site: 1. Extreme concentration events and their oxidation capacity.

Nitrate radical (NO(3)), an important nighttime tropospheric oxidant, was measured continuously for two years (July 2005 to September 2007) in Jerusalem, a semiarid urban site, by long-path differential optical absorption spectroscopy (LP-DOAS). From this period, 21 days with the highest concentrations of nitrate radical (above 220 pptv) were selected for analysis. Joint measurements with the University of Heidelberg's LP-DOAS showed good agreement (r = 0.

Applying light-emitting diodes with narrowband emission features in differential spectroscopy.

LEDs are a promising new type of light source for differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS). Varying differential structures in the emission spectrum of LEDs, however, display a potentially severe problem. We show that the structures, which originate from a Fabry-Pérot etalon, may be removed by tilting the emitter, which at the same time increases the radiant flux coupled into the subsequent optical system.

Spatial and temporal variations in NO(2) distributions over Beijing, China measured by imaging differential optical absorption spectroscopy.

During the CAREBEIJING campaign in 2006, imaging differential optical absorption spectroscopy (I-DOAS) measurements were made from 08:00 to 16:00 on September 9 and 10 over Beijing, China. Detailed images of the near-surface NO(2) differential slant column density (DSCD) distribution over Beijing were obtained. Images with less than a 30-min temporal resolution showed both horizontal and vertical variations in NO(2) distributions.

Tomographic multiaxis-differential optical absorption spectroscopy observations of Sun-illuminated targets: a technique providing well-defined absorption paths in the boundary layer.

A novel experimental procedure to measure the near-surface distribution of atmospheric trace gases by using passive multiaxis differential absorption optical spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) is proposed. The procedure consists of pointing the receiving telescope of the spectrometer to nonreflecting surfaces or to bright targets placed at known distances from the measuring device, which are illuminated by sunlight. We show that the partial trace gas absorptions between the top of the atmosphere and the target can be easily removed from the measured total absorption.

Applicability of light-emitting diodes as light sources for active differential optical absorption spectroscopy measurements.

We present what is to our knowledge the first use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources for long-path differential optical absorption spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) measurements of trace gases in the open atmosphere. Modern LEDs represent a potentially advantageous alternative to thermal light sources, in particular to xenon arc lamps, which are the most common active DOAS light sources. The radiative properties of a variety of LEDs were characterized, and parameters such as spectral shape, spectral range, spectral stability, and ways in which they can be influenced by environmental factors were analyzed.

Operator representation as a new differential optical absorption spectroscopy formalism.

UV-visible absorption spectroscopy with extraterrestrial light sources is a widely used technique for the measurement of stratospheric and tropospheric trace gases. We focus on differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) and present an operator notation as a new formalism to describe the different processes in the atmosphere and the simplifying assumptions that compose the advantage of DOAS. This formalism provides tools to classify and reduce possible error sources of DOAS applications.

Simultaneous measurements of atmospheric pollutants and visibility with a Long-Path DOAS system in urban areas.

In this paper, the applicability of a Long-Path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) system was checked for the feasibility of the simultaneous measurement of trace gases (such as 03, NO2, SO2, and HCHO) and atmospheric visibility (light extinction by aerosols) in Asian urban areas. Field studies show that an LP-DOAS system can simultaneously measure the key pollutants (such as O3, NO2, SO2, and HCHO) at detection limits in the ppb/sub-ppb range as well as the Mie extinction coefficient with an uncertainty of approximately 0.1 km(-1) at time resolution of a few minutes.

Lightweight diode laser spectrometer CHILD (Compact High-altitude iN-situ Laser Diode) for balloonborne measurements of water vapor and methane.

A new lightweight near-infrared tunable diode laser spectrometer CHILD (Compact High-altitude In-situ Laser Diode spectrometer) was developed for flights to the stratosphere as an additional in situ sensor on existing balloonborne payloads. Free-air absorption measurements in the near infrared are made with an open-path Herriott cell with new design features. It offers two individual absorption path lengths optimized for CH4 with 74 m (136 pass) and H2O with 36 m (66 pass).

Ground-based imaging differential optical absorption spectroscopy of atmospheric gases.

We describe a compact remote-sensing instrument that permits spatially resolved mapping of atmospheric trace gases by passive differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) and present our first applications of imaging of the nitrogen dioxide contents of the exhaust plumes of two industrial emitters. DOAS permits the identification and quantification of various gases, e.g.

Retrieval of profile information from airborne multiaxis UV-visible skylight absorption measurements.

A recent development in ground-based remote sensing of atmospheric constituents by UV-visible absorption measurements of scattered light is the simultaneous use of several horizon viewing directions in addition to the traditional zenith-sky pointing. The different light paths through the atmosphere enable the vertical distribution of some atmospheric absorbers, such as NO2, BrO, or O3, to be retrieved. This approach has recently been implemented on an airborne platform.