Laser spectrometers for atmospheric analysis

This chapter will deal with practical application a practical applications of spectroscopy techniques. We can speak of a practical application when a scientific discovery has been found suitable to carry out a specific task, either better, or at a lower cost (or both) than existing devices. Since many years [1-4] absorption spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful tool for the measurement of the concentrations of gaseous species. Yet, nowadays only very few people have seen commercial gas analyzers at work. This means that either the principle of the technique is not good, or that the technological development is insufficient, or the benefit/cost ratio is lower than that of already existing Four methods will be described. For each of them the advantages and drawbacks will be highlighted, in order to understand for which kind of measurement they are most suitable. The four methods are Mass Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography, Chemical Methods and Solid State Sensors. The available space is not sufficient to enter all details of the described techniques and devices. To overcome this, an extensive bibliography will be provided.