Abstract

A method is described for using a single Fabry-Perot interferometer to study the emissions from an entire molecular rotation band, not just a single line to determine atmospheric temperature. It is shown that if the effective line spacing of the band to free spectral range is nearly a rational number, the resulting signal is highly temperature sensitive, particularly at low temperatures. It is shown that the finesse of the instrument is not extremely important but that the instrument function must be known very precisely. The method is illustrated with the O₂ atmospheric band and an interferometer flown on the Dynamics Explorer 2 satellite.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

Daytime operation of a pure rotational Raman lidar by use of a Fabry–Perot interferometer

Yuri Arshinov, Sergey Bobrovnikov, Ilya Serikov, Albert Ansmann, Ulla Wandinger, Dietrich Althausen, Ina Mattis, and Detlef Müller
Appl. Opt. 44(17) 3593-3603 (2005)

Fabry-Perot interferometers with three mirrors

Sake J. Hogeveen and Herman van de Stadt
Appl. Opt. 25(22) 4181-4184 (1986)

Optimization of a triple etalon interferometer

Wilbert R. Skinner, Paul B. Hays, and Vincent J. Abreu
Appl. Opt. 26(14) 2817-2827 (1987)

Stable and rugged etalon for the Dynamics Explorer Fabry-Perot interferometer. 1: Design and construction

D. Rees, T. J. Fuller-Rowell, A. Lyons, T. L. Killeen, and P. B. Hays
Appl. Opt. 21(21) 3896-3902 (1982)

Time domain response of an optically frequency swept Fabry-Perot interferometer

David R. Huber and James B. Carroll
Appl. Opt. 25(14) 2386-2390 (1986)