Brief Communications

Method for measuring the saturation energy of weakly absorbing gases

E. A. Ryabov


Abstract: The optoacoustic method was used in recording the absorption in order to determine the saturation energy of gases. The sensitivity of the method was 5X10^–9 J/cm, which made it possible to carry out measurements in gases with low laser radiation absorption coefficients (down to 10^–6–10^–8 cm^–1).The saturation energy of CO₂ measured with a CO₂ laser was in good agreement with a theoretical estimate. The saturation energy of SF₆ (traces of this compound were present in argon at a pressure of 1 atm) was also determined. It was found that the method employed could be used to determine the populations of vibration-rotational sublevels.

UDC: 535.211+621.378.826

PACS: 42.50.Gy, 42.50.Nn, 43.35.Ud, 42.62.Eh

Received: 17.07.1974

 English version: Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics, 1975, 5:1, 81–82