Misura Ottica dell’anidride RadioCarbonica nell’atmosferica del plateau Antartico

ORCA

Funded by: Ministero dell’Istruzione, Università e Ricerca (MIUR)  
Calls: Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide – PNRA 2013
Start date: 2014-06-18  End date: 2016-06-17
Total Budget: EUR 10.000,00  INO share of the total budget: EUR 10.000,00
Scientific manager: Mazzotti Davide   and for INO is: Mazzotti Davide

Organization/Institution/Company main assignee: CNR – Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO)

other Organization/Institution/Company involved:

other INO’s people involved:



Abstract: This project aims to create an experimental apparatus for measuring the 14CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, with innovative technological features, enabling its installation and operation in Antarctica. The apparatus will be based on a mid-IR high-sensitivity laser spectroscopy technique, named saturated-absorption cavity ring-down (SCAR). In our laboratory in Italy we will achieve a more sensitive, portable and simplified version than the current working SCAR apparatus and then we will test its performance in Concordia Station on the Antarctic plateau. The measurement will also require the implementation of a system for preparing the sample taken from the air at ground level, able to separate the CO2 from the other interfering gaseous species. A possible application of such a measurement will be the study of the natural carbon cycle and of the mixing time in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, through the establishment of a network with several Antarctic detection stations like the one we are proposing. In addition, this instrument could also be used for dating samples of biological origin.

INO’s Experiments/Theoretical Study correlated:
Saturated-absorption cavity ring-down (SCAR) spectroscopy for optical radiocarbon detection