title: In situ sensing of the middle atmosphere with balloonborne near-infrared laser diodes.
abstract: Since 1997, two near-infrared laser diode sensors have been developed with the support of the CNES, the French space agency, to provide in situ data of H(2)O, CH(4) and CO(2) in the middle atmosphere. The realized instruments were flown from stratospheric balloons within the framework of European campaigns for the study of stratospheric ozone and water vapor and were involved in the validation of the ODIN and ENVISAT satellites. In this paper, we describe the developed laser probing technique, we report atmospheric measurements and finally we discuss future perspectives, particularly the in situ laser sensing of the lower atmosphere of Mars and the implication of the laser hygrometers in balloon campaigns at mid-latitudes and tropical regions to investigate the sources and sinks of stratospheric H(2)O.
authors.affiliation: IPSL, Service d'Aéronomie, UMR 7620, CNRS-Réduit de Verrières, B.P. 3, 91371 Verrières-le-Buisson Cédex, France. georges.durry@aerov.jussieu.fr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Durry
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amarouche
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zéninari
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parvitte
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lebarbu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ovarlez
mesh_terms: D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D008697:Methane