Design and performance of a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer for airborne formaldehyde measurements

A tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) was modified for high‐precision and high‐time‐resolution formaldehyde (CH2O) measurements. This enhanced system was deployed in both the clean and polluted troposphere, as part of aircraft missions (TOPSE 2000, TexAQS 2000, and TRACE‐P 2001) and ground‐based missions (SOS 1999). Measurements of very constant ambient CH2O concentrations were used to determine instrument precisions, which were stable under normal operating conditions, with the exception of brief aircraft cabin pressure changes. Precisions of 15–50 pptv (1σ) were typically achieved for 1 min of averaging, corresponding to absorptions of 0.5–1.7 × 10−6, 3–5 times better than the previous version of the instrument (1998). Responsible modifications included improved temperature and pressure control of instrument components and the use of more stable optical mounts. During the TexAQS 2000 aircraft mission (polluted continental troposphere), measurements of 1 s time resolution were reported. Instrument accuracy was validated by calibration cross checks, interference tests, sample transmission tests, and field comparisons with a DOAS system.