Intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy near 9400 cm-1 with a Nd:glass laser:: application to 14N216O

A new compact and low-power-consuming cw intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy (ICLAS) spectrometer with a broad tunability near 1.06 mu m has been developed. This ICLAS spectrometer uses a thin plate of Nd:glass as the amplification medium and allows pumping by a laser diode. The absorption spectrum of nitrous oxide N-14(2) O-16 has been recorded near 9400 cm(-1) with this new ICLAS apparatus. It reveals an extremely weak absorption band centred at 9398.848 cm(-1). The corresponding upper term value, vibrational assignment and B-v rotational constant, as well as the band intensity, are quantitatively discussed in the frame of the vibrational cluster model. The observed atmospheric spectrum in the region is assigned to (H2 O)-O-16 and discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.