Fluorescence of Atmospheric Aerosols and Lidar Implications

Abstract

The fluorescence of aerosols in the ambient atmosphere has been monitored in situ using cw argon ion laser excitation in bands of 50 nm and 100 nm over the spectral region of 560-810 nm. The observed broadband aerosol fluorescence may limit lidar (laser radar) determinations of pollutants. The limitation can be overcome by a method in which the aerosol fluorescence excited at two wavelengths is constant while the molecular signals differ. The effectiveness of the technique has been demonstrated by in situ measurements of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) in the presence of aerosols.