Absolute oil fluorescence conversion efficiency.

A conceptual method has been developed to deduce the characteristic infinite thickness absolute conversion efficiencies of oils from measured finite thickness film fluorescent returns. The sea water Raman signal is used as a reference in deducing the fluorescent efficiencies. The former can be obtained absolutely by measuring its temporal behavior, from which an absolute conversion efficiency of an oil can be deduced, without any a priori knowledge of the oil. The effects of signal-to-noise and background fluorescence on the accuracy of the fluorescent efficiency measurement are considered.