DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF TOXIC CHEMICAL VAPORS IN AN OPEN-AIR ENVIRONMENT BY A DIFFERENTIAL PASSIVE LWIR STANDOFF TECHNIQUE

In this paper, the passive standoff long wave infrared technology developed for atmospheric remote sensing was used to detect and identify chemical pollutants in the atmosphere. The measurement approach is based on the differential passive standoff detection method that has been developed by DRDC Valcartier during the past few years. The measurements were performed on real chemical warfare agents and toxic chemical vapors. The results clearly demonstrate the capability of the differential radiometry approach for the detection, identification and quantification of toxic chemical vapor clouds in an open-air environment.

[1]  D. Flanigan Prediction of the limits of detection of hazardous vapors by passive infrared with the use of modtran. , 1996, Applied optics.

[2]  A. Hayden,et al.  Determination of trace-gas amounts in plumes by the use of orthogonal digital filtering of thermal-emission spectra. , 1996, Applied optics.

[3]  Robert T. Kroutil,et al.  Discriminant analysis techniques for the identification of atmospheric pollutants from passive Fourier transform infrared interferograms , 1991 .

[4]  M. Iacono,et al.  Line‐by‐line calculation of atmospheric fluxes and cooling rates: 2. Application to carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide and the halocarbons , 1995 .

[5]  Eldon Puckrin,et al.  Passive remote monitoring of chemical vapors by differential Fourier-transform infrared radiometry: results at a range of 1.5 km. , 2004, Applied optics.

[6]  Eldon Puckrin,et al.  Passive standoff detection of chemical warfare agents on surfaces. , 2004, Applied optics.

[7]  Eldon Puckrin,et al.  Passive Standoff Detection of SF6 at a Distance of 5.7 km by Differential Fourier Transform Infrared Radiometry , 2005, Applied spectroscopy.

[8]  J. Thériault,et al.  Modeling the responsivity and self-emission of a double-beam Fourier-transform infrared interferometer. , 1999, Applied optics.

[9]  E. Puckrin,et al.  Remote sensing of chemical vapours by differential FTIR radiometry , 2005 .

[10]  Jeffrey L. Hall,et al.  Passive Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy of chemical plumes: an algorithm for quantitative interpretation and real-time background removal. , 1995, Applied optics.