Abstract

The detection of the Antarctic ozone hole by Farman et all has led to increased interest in obtaining data at high latitudes on the altitude distribution of many of the constituents involved in the photochemistry of the ozone layer. Data concerning the altitude profile of constituents at stratospheric altitudes is generally obtained using instruments flown on large balloons. Launch and recovery of the instrumentation flown on such balloons at remote sites is difficult. In order to reduce these difficulties we have developed small grating spectrometer system which can be flown on small balloons. HNO₃is of particular interest in high latitude photochemistry since it is involved in the heterogeneous reactions occurring during the winter. The spectrometer was designed specifically to obtain data on HNO₃however the spectral region scanned (8μ to 13μ) includes features due to CH₄, N₂O, O₃, F12 and F11. The system is used to measure the atmospheric spectral emission and its change with altitude as the balloon ascends. The change in spectral radiance with altitude is used to obtain profile data on the constituents of interest.

© 1993 Optical Society of America