Gas cell

A gas cell for the spectroscopic analysis of a gas, in which the gas is exposed to an incident beam of rays of electromagnetic radiation and a beam of rays of electromagnetic radiation exiting from the gas to form a measurement signal is recorded, wherein the gas cell comprises:

• a body consisting of a porous material configured to scatter electromagnetic radiation upon encounter, an inner surface of the porous material forming a cavity configured to diffusely reflect and transmit the electromagnetic radiation upon encounter;
• an in-coupling device for coupling the incident beam of rays into the gas cell;
• and
• an out-coupling device for out-coupling the exiting beam of rays from the gas cell;
• wherein the porous material is gas-permeable, such that the gas being measured is configured to penetrate into the cavity through the porous material when the gas cell is brought into contact with said gas being measured and to reside, in part, within the porous material during such measurement;
• wherein the porous material is configured to permit at least some of the electromagnetic radiation to enter the porous material surrounding the cavity multiple times during such measurement, thereby permitting interaction with the portion of the gas being measured residing within the porous material;
• wherein the out-coupling device has an end residing within the porous material and is configured to out-couple the electromagnetic radiation forming the exiting beam of rays from the area of the body containing the porous material.