title: Laser absorption spectroscopy of water vapor confined in nanoporous alumina: wall collision line broadening and gas diffusion dynamics.
abstract: We demonstrate high-resolution tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) of water vapor confined in nanoporous alumina. Strong multiple light scattering results in long photon pathlengths (1 m through a 6 mm sample). We report on strong line broadening due to frequent wall collisions (gas-surface interactions). For the water vapor line at 935.685 nm, the HWHM of confined molecules are about 4.3 GHz as compared to 2.9 GHz for free molecules (atmospheric pressure). Gas diffusion is also investigated, and in contrast to molecular oxygen (that moves rapidly in and out of the alumina), the exchange of water vapor is found very slow.
authors: Division of Atomic Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University PO Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. tomas.svensson@fysik.lth.se
authors: Tomas
authors: T
authors: Svensson
authors: Märta
authors: M
authors: Lewander
authors: Sune
authors: S
authors: Svanberg
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis*; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013227:Steam / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D013227:Steam; D014867:Water; D000537:Aluminum Oxide