Open Cell Ring Down Spectrometer to Measure Atmospheric Visible and Infrared Ambient Light Extinction
Navy SBIR 2019.1 - Topic N191-040
ONR - Ms. Lore-Anne Ponirakis - email@example.com
Opens: January 8, 2019 - Closes: February 6, 2019 (8:00 PM ET)
AREA(S): Battlespace, Sensors, Weapons
PROGRAM: Air Ocean Tactical Applications - Surface Atmospheric Sensing
Develop, demonstrate, and transition an open-celled cavity ring-down instrument
to measure ambient light extinction at multiple wavelengths, including the
capability to measure in the near infrared used by directed energy systems,
such as 1.06 or 1.61 microns.
Direct measurements of ambient light extinction are difficult to obtain.
Sampling the atmosphere into a closed celled system results in particle/droplet
loss and disrupts temperature and humidity field for those that remain. Long
path instruments by nature measure an integrated signal along a path rather
than at a point, and can be impacted be refraction effects. Cavity Ring-Down
Spectrometers (CRS) essentially package a long path signal between two
ultra-high fidelity mirrors spaced closely together. A beam is propagated
across a cavity. When terminated, the time the remaining energy decays (or
rings down) is recorded. This intensity decay rate can be directly related to
ambient extinction to accuracies demonstrated to better than 5% [Ref 10]. There
are a number of research-grade CRS systems used by the scientific community to
measure both aerosol particles and gasses, and have been demonstrated on both
ground and airborne deployments. Current examples applications from the peer
reviewed literature, include characterizing air pollution and haze in mega
cities [Ref 7]. When coupled with a comparable light scatting instrument, CRS’s
can help measure atmospheric aerosol absorption to high fidelity [Ref 1] index
of refraction [Ref 3]. Examination of carefully selected absorption lines can
provide real time air chemistry measurements [Refs 6, 8].
I: Design a specific sensor engineering concept. Conduct an ambient environment
demonstration as a proof-of-concept. Prepare a Phase II plan.
II: Further develop the concept into an instrument for deployment on a test
range and/or at sea during a directed energy field test, including further
developing the user interface and an instrument housing that is rugged enough
to be used shipboard in a maritime environment. Provide a final technical
report and deliver the prototype instrument for further use and evaluation.
III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the instrument to
deployment to the fleet. There is an ever-increasing use of near IR systems for
civilian applications and research, including sensors for transportation and
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E.W., Brock, C.A., Erdesz, F., and Murphy, D.M., “Design of a Novel Open-Path
Aerosol Extinction Cavity Ringdown Spectrometer.” Aerosol Science and
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T. F., (2014), Verification and application of the extended spectral
deconvolution algorithm (SDA+) methodology to estimate aerosol fine and coarse
mode extinction coefficients in the marine boundary layer, Atmospheric
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Sea-salt Aerosol Particle Size Measurements and Parameterizations at a
Subtropical Ocean Receptor Site,” J. Geophysical. Research, 111, D02202, 2006.
Meteorology; Aerosols; Atmospheric Spectroscopy; Electro-optical Propagation;
Directed Energy; Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare