In-flight stability of quantum cascade laser-based infrared absorption spectroscopy measurements of atmospheric carbon monoxide

Airborne carbon monoxide (CO) measurements based on Quantum cascade Laser infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (QLAS) were performed on the German High-Altitude Long-range Observatory (HALO) aircraft during test flights in January 2015. Here we investigate the in-flight stability of TRISTAR (TRacer In-Situ Tdlas for Atmospheric Research), a multilaser QLAS instrument for the detection of tropospheric CO, methane and formaldehyde (HCHO). During one test flight the instrument was probed with tank air to measure a constant mixing ratio of CO and zero air for HCHO. Here we investigate the instrument stability for the CO channel of TRISTAR and identify potential noise sources as well as environmental processes that limit the stability of the instrument. The 1σ reproducibility of the constant CO measurement yields a value of 1.2% (2.9 ppbv) corresponding to an optical density limit of 0.001 for a 5-s average. The CO precision is ultimately limited by an etalon fringe originating from the double corner-cube White cell, whose phase and amplitude changes with the aircraft heading. This article is part of the topical collection “Field Laser Applications in Industry and Research” guest edited by Francesco D’Amato, Erik Kerstel, and Alan Fried