Detection of OH in the atmosphere using a dye laser

Preliminary experiments suggesting the feasibility of using a resonance fluorescence scheme to detect ambient concentrations of OH in the atmosphere (106 molecules/cm3) were carried out using OH concentrations near 1012 molecules/cm3. The P1(1) line of the v = 0 → 1 branch of the lowest electronic transition of OH at 2822 A was resonantly excited with radiation from a doubled dye laser. The subsequent fluorescence from the v = 0 → 0 branch with Δν ≅ 3050 cm−1 was observed to have a fluorescence efficiency of 0.6 × 10−3 in N2 at atmospheric pressure with a 10‐mm partial pressure of H2O. This fluorescence occurs 500 cm−1 away from any strong Raman line in the atmosphere.

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