APPLICATION OF OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR FOR REMOTE MONITORING OF ATMOSPHERE IN THE 3-4 mu m SPECTRAL RANGE

Relevance of the research is caused by the need of developing the atmosphere remote sensing methods and systems for real-time monitoring of the environment. The main aim of the study is to develop the methodology of planning and carrying out laser remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases through the approach combining the advantages of differential absorption lidar (DIAL) and the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), search for informative wavelengths in the middle infrared range, numerical simulation of lidar sensing of atmospheric trace gases at the selected wavelengths. The methods used in the study: differential absorption lidar, differential optical absorption spectroscopy. The results. The authors have studied the opportunities of applying laser system with parametric light generation based on a nonlinear crystal KTiOAsO4 for atmosphere lidar sensing in the spectral range of 3-4 mu m. The technique of lidar measurements of atmospheric gaseous components by the differential absorption lidar and differential optical absorption spectroscopy was developed. The authors tested the developed method to assess the feasibility of lidar sensing of atmospheric trace gases. The paper introduces the results of atmospheric lidar measurements modeling in the range of 3-4 mu m, which demonstrate the possibility of lidar signal restoring on vertical paths up to 5 km and on horizontal paths up to 10 km when probing methane, formaldehyde, hydrogen bromide and hydrogen chloride using laser beam with a width of the instrumental function of 2 cm(-1). Conclusion. Laser with parametric light generation based on nonlinear KTiOAsO4, crystal with the operating range of 3-4 mu m is the advanced light source for remote sensing the atmospheric trace gases, considered in the work, by the DIAL-DOAS technique at the ground level tropospheric paths.