title: Detection of NO and NO(2) by (2 + 2) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and photoacoustic spectroscopy near 454 nm.
abstract: Trace concentrations of NO and NO(2) are detected with a dye laser operating near 454 nm. NO is detected by a (2 + 2) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization process by means of NO A(2)Σ+-X(2)Π(0, 0) transitions with miniature electrodes, and NO(2) is detected by a one-photon absorption photoacoustic process by means of NO(2)A¯' (2)B(1)(0, 8, 0)- X¯ (2)A(1)(0, 0, 0) transitions with a miniature microphone. Rotationally resolved excitation spectra show that the spectral resolution is sufficiently high to identify these species at 1 atm. The technique's analytical merits are evaluated as functions of concentration, pressure, and laser intensities. Low laser intensities favor NO(2) photoacoustic detection whereas high laser intensities favor NO ionization. Limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio 3) of 160 parts in 10(9) for NO and 400 parts in 10(9) for NO(2) are determined at 1 atm for a 10-s integration time. Signal response and noise analyses show that three decades of NO/NO(2) mixtures can be measured with a computational relative error in concentration that is three times the relative error in measuring the NO and NO(2) signals.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Pastel
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sausa