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Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Campus Access Master's Report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Applied Physics (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Physics
Advisor 1
Claudio Mazzoleni
Committee Member 1
Jacek Borysow
Committee Member 2
Shawn Brueshaber
Abstract
Obtaining accurate measurements of water vapor concentrations is essential for understanding many atmospheric phenomena, such as cloud formation and radiative balance. The ability to do so while minimizing direct contact with the system through remote sensing is especially valuable. With this project, we continued the development of a tunable diode laser hygrometer that provides highly accurate, path-integrated measurements of water vapor concentration. This system utilizes a balanced photodiode circuit to eliminate the power ramp intrinsic to the diode laser wavelength tuning process. The results of this laboratory work show excellent agreement between transmission measurements and simulations based on the HIgh-resolution TRANsmission molecular absorption database (HITRAN). The benchtop system characterized and described here will be packaged into a laboratory instrument to be used with MTU’s Pi Cloud Chamber. Upon completion the hygrometer should be widely applicable to many studies in clouds and aerosol research. The ability to use simulation to bypass much of the need for calibration should also allow for rapid deployment.
Recommended Citation
Koshar, Daniel, "Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy to Measure Atmospheric Water Vapor Concentrations", Campus Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2025.