An improved fast-response vacuum-UV resonance fluorescence CO instrument

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
• Main Authors: Gerbig, C., Schmitgen, S., Kley, D., Volz-Thomas, A., Dewey, K., Haaks, D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Union 1999
• Subjects: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/550; J; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/39878; https://juser.fz-juelich.de/search?p=id:%22PreJuSER-39878%22

The fast-response resonance fluorescence instrument for the airborne measurement of carbon monoxide described by Gerbig er al. [1996] was modified by implementing an improved optical filter with more efficient optics and an optimized resonance lamp. Besides reductions in size and weight, the new instrument achieves a sensitivity 10 times higher, a lower background (65 ppb compared with 250 ppb), and a faster time response (<0.1s) than the original instrument. The precision is +/-1.5 ppb at an atmospheric mixing ratio of 100 ppb CO, and the detection limit is 3 ppb (2 sigma) for an integration time of 1 s. First results from the North Atlantic Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-2) campaign during July 1997, when the new instrument was deployed aboard the U.K. Meteorological Office C-130 aircraft, are used to demonstrate the performance of the new instrument.