  We develop a method for extracting the physical parameters of interest for a
dipole trapped cold atomic ensemble. This technique uses the spatially
dependent ac-Stark shift of the trap itself to project the atomic distribution
onto a light-shift broadened transmission spectrum. We develop a model that
connects the atomic distribution with the expected transmission spectrum. We
then demonstrate the utility of the technique by deriving the temperature, trap
depth, lifetime, and trapped atom number from data that was taken in a single
shot experimental measurement.
