Issues affecting differential absorption laser imaging of gas leaks

Summary form only given. Backscatter absorption gas imaging (BAGI) wing cw lasers has successfully generated real-time video images of gas plumes for industrial applications such as hazardous leak detection and container integrity testing. The flexibility of the BAGI technique can be increased by using pulsed lasers. High power pulsed lasers can extend the imaging range, and through efficient parametric processes, can achieve wavelength tunability. We are building an imaging system based on a wavelength-agile source that operates in the 3-5 /spl mu/m range for the purpose of exploring pulsed imaging. In particular, we will explore the possibility of using this pulsed imager to make quantitative measurements of the concentration of gas plumes by comparing the illuminated scene at two closely spaced wavelengths.