Development of an Airborne Quantum Cascade Laser Spectrometer for Rapid, Accurate, Measurements of Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Methane (CH4) from Light Aircraft

通过大学与私营企业的合作，私家侦探和他的团队将开发一种新的紧凑的仪器，使用量子级联激光器，能够测量一氧化碳和甲烷，具有足够的坚固性，灵敏度，准确性，响应和可靠性，适合在研究飞机上使用。在与他的行业合作伙伴一起制造和测试之后，P.I.将把该仪器与现有的研究级二氧化碳仪器一起部署，以生成一个全面的机载套件，用于针对对全球碳循环重要的微量气体。这种大气数据在量化自然和人为排放以及对一些基本但关键的全球生物地球化学循环有更充分的了解方面具有独特的用途。该项目的更广泛影响包括开发针对碳循环和气候变化社区中重要和关键研究需求的工具。这项工作将来可能会产生一种商业上可行的仪器，供广大社区使用。支持博士后研究人员和研究生，这将对重点大学青年科学家的教育和专业发展做出积极贡献。

Through a collaboration between university and private industry, the P.I. and his team will develop a new compact instrument using quantum cascade lasers capable of measuring carbon monoxide and methane with sufficient robustness, sensitivity, accuracy, response and reliability so as to be suitable for use on research aircraft. After manufacture and testing with his industry partners the P.I. will deploy the instrument alongside an existing research-grade carbon dioxide instrument to generate a comprehensive airborne package targeting trace gases important to the global carbon cycle. Such atmospheric data is of unique use to quantify natural and anthropogenic emissions as well as gaining a more informed understanding of some basic yet critical global biogeochemical cycles. Broader impacts of this project include tools developed that target important and critical research needs within the carbon cycle and climate change communities. This work may in future lead to a commercially viable instrument that would be available to a broad community. Support is included for postdoctoral researcher(s) and a graduate student, which will contribute positively to education and professional development of young scientists at a major university.