Infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy in low-pressure flames

Summary form only given. We have recently employed Infrared Cavity Ringdown Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (IRCRLAS) as a diagnostic tool for combustion chemistry studies. A tunable, single-mode OPO laser system (STI Mirage 3000) is utilized to obtain high-resolution rovibrational spectra of reactive species in low-pressure flames (10-100 torr). The high sensitivity and generality of the ringdown method for combustion studies is demonstrated in a variety of hydrogen and hydrocarbon flames. Specifically, we demonstrate the ability to obtain spatially resolved (1-D) spectra of reactants, radicals, and products within a relatively narrow spectral region.