STRP

There is a societal need for improved measurements of absorbing aerosol (small particles) in the atmosphere. Absorbing aerosol impact human health, visibility, and weather. They are measured at thousands of sites in the U.S. and globally, but these measurements are typically made with filter-based instruments that tend to be slow, labor intensive, and can have measurement artifacts. There is also a need to measure aerosol absorption in the infrared wavelengths to improve directed energy applications. Our group at the University of Wyoming has developed a photoacoustic absorption spectrometer (UWPAS) that can make significantly improved measurements without a filter at both infrared and visible wavelengths. The original UWPAS was far too heavy, large, and power hungry to have commercial appeal. However, we have collaborated with Handix Scientific Inc. over the last 3 years to develop a smaller, lighter and less power hungry version for Office of Naval Research STTR Phase 1 and 2 projects. The STTR projects have been successful, resulting in a TRL 5 prototype. However, the prototype contains two systems that are too costly to appeal to a large market. For the current proposal, we will develop lower cost laser and data acquisition systems for our next-gen UWPAS. We will also conduct testing under a wide range of environmental conditions to generate performance metrics that are key for marketing the instrument. Through this project we can raise the TRL to 7 and have a clear path to generating a commercially viable instrument in collaboration with Handix Scientific.