Deployment of a QCL Spectrometer onboard different stratospheric platforms for in-situ measurement of trace gases

The instrument COLD2 (Carbon Oxide Laser Detector) is a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser spectrometer for in-situ concentration measurement of trace gases. It was appositely designed to be versatile and suitable for easy installation on board different stratospheric platforms. For this purpose, it features small size, light weight, and low power consumption and it operates without being pressurized and without in-flight calibration. COLD2 is based on direct absorption spectroscopy in combination with multipass cell and provides concentration values with a temporal resolution of 1 s. It was initially developed to measure only Carbon Oxide (CO), but a larger laser scan can be used for the simultaneous detection of CO and Nitrous Oxide (N2O).