Broadband differential absorption sensor for detecting gaseous species

1. A remote absorption sensor comprising:

a laser source, wherein the laser source is configured to emit a pulse of radiation comprising a plurality of wavelengths;

a receiver configured to detect radiation backscatter, where the radiation backscatter is based upon the pulse of radiation emitted by the laser source;

a computing system in communication with the laser source and the receiver, wherein the computing system comprises:

a processor; and

memory that stores computer-executable instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

receiving backscatter data from the receiver, the backscatter data being indicative of the detected radiation backscatter; and

determining a plurality of species number densities along a travel path of the emitted pulse of radiation, wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a first number density of a first species based on a first set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for a first subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and a first attenuation cross-section of the first species, wherein determining the plurality of species number densities further includes determining a second number density of a second species based on a second set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for a second subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and a second attenuation cross-section of the second species, wherein the first subset of wavelengths and the second subset of wavelengths are different.

2. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein the laser source comprises a broadband laser source and a frequency converter, wherein the laser source further comprises a spectrometer configured to detect an initial intensity spectrum of the radiation emitted by the laser source.

3. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a spectrometer configured to detect the radiation backscatter, wherein the receiver further comprises a continuously variable order sorting filter configured to filter radiation entering the spectrometer.

4. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of a third species based on a third set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for a third subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and a third attenuation cross-section of the third species, wherein the third subset of wavelengths is different from the first subset of wavelengths and the second subset of wavelengths.

5. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of a third species based on the second set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for the second subset of wavelengths and the second attenuation cross-section.

6. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein determining the first number density further comprises determining an optical depth of the first subset of wavelengths, wherein the optical depth of the first subset of wavelengths is a function of the first optical transmission value.

7. The remote sensor of claim 6 , wherein determining the first number density additionally comprises fitting the first number density to the determined optical depth of the first subset of wavelengths.

8. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein the laser transmitter is further configured to emit a second pulse of radiation, wherein the second pulse of radiation travels along a second travel path, wherein the travel path and the second travel path are different, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving second backscatter data from the receiver indicative of detected backscatter of the second pulse of radiation; and

determining a second plurality of species number densities along the second travel path of the second pulse of radiation, wherein determining the second plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of the first species based on a third optical transmission value from the second backscatter data for the first subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and the first attenuation cross-section of the first species.

9. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein the laser source comprises a fiber laser.

10. The remote sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wavelengths are in a range of 2 to 2.5 microns.

11. The remote absorption sensor of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:

computing a first optical depth for the first subset of wavelengths based upon the backscatter data; and

computing a second optical depth for the second subset of wavelengths based upon the backscatter data, where the first number density is determined based upon the first optical depth and the second number density is determined based upon the second optical depth.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing system, backscatter data indicative of backscatter of a pulse of radiation detected by a receiver, wherein the pulse of radiation comprises radiation having a plurality of wavelengths, wherein the pulse of radiation is emitted by a laser source; and

determining a plurality of species number densities along a travel path of the radiation, wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a first number density of a first species based on a first set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for a first subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and a first attenuation cross-section of the first species, wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a second number density of a second species based on a second set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for a second subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and a second attenuation cross-section of the second species, wherein the first subset of wavelengths and the second subset of wavelengths are different.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of a third species based on a third set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for a third subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and a third attenuation cross-section of the third species, wherein the third subset of wavelengths is different from the first subset of wavelengths and the second subset of wavelengths.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of a third species based on the second set of optical transmission values from the backscatter data for the second subset of wavelengths and the second attenuation cross-section.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the first number density further comprises determining an optical depth of the first subset of wavelengths, wherein the optical depth of the first subset of wavelengths is a function of the first optical transmission value.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the first number density additionally comprises fitting the first number density to the determined optical depth of the first subset of wavelengths.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, at the computing system, second backscatter data indicative of backscatter of a second pulse of radiation detected by the receiver; and

determining a second plurality of species number densities along a second travel path of the second pulse of radiation, wherein determining the second plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of the first species based on a third set of optical transmission values from the second backscatter data for the first subset of wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths and the first attenuation cross-section of the first species.

18. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

memory that stores computer-executable instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

receiving backscatter data from a receiver indicative of backscatter of a pulse of radiation detected by the receiver, wherein the pulse of radiation comprises radiation having a plurality of wavelengths, wherein the pulse of radiation is emitted by a laser source;

computing optical depth values for the plurality of wavelengths based upon the backscatter data received from the receiver; and

determining a plurality of species number densities along a travel path of the radiation based upon the optical depth values, wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a first number density of a first species based on a first optical depth value from the backscatter data for a first wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths and a first attenuation cross-section of the first species, wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a second number density of a second species based on a second optical depth value from the backscatter data for a second wavelength in the plurality of wavelengths and a second attenuation cross-section of the second species, wherein the first wavelength and the second wavelength are different.

19. The computing system of claim 18 , wherein determining the plurality of species number densities includes determining a third number density of a third species based on a third optical depth value from the backscatter data for a third wavelength in the plurality of wavelengths and a third attenuation cross-section of the third species, wherein the third wavelength is different from the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining the first number density additionally comprises fitting the first number density to a computed optical depth of the first wavelength.