Infrared spectral sources
OwnerShaul Yatsivinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An infrared (IR) radiation source (20, 50) includes an envelope (22), at least a portion (26) of which is IR transmissive, and a molecular gas species (23), contained in the envelope, which gas species is thermally excited to emit IR radiation in a discrete spectrum characteristic of the species, substantially without heating the envelope.
Claims47
An infrared (IR) radiation source, comprising:
- an envelope, at least a portion of which is IR transmissive;
- and
- a molecular gas species, contained in the envelope, which gas species is thermally excited to emit IR radiation in a discrete spectrum characteristic of the species, substantially without heating the envelope.
A source according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the molecular gas species is excited by adiabatic compression of the gas in the envelope.
A method for generating IR radiation, comprising:
- filling an envelope, at least a portion of which is IR transmissive, with a molecular gas species;
- and
- thermally exciting the gas species to emit IR radiation in a discrete spectrum characteristic of the species, substantially without heating the envelope.
Apparatus for generating infrared (IR) emission, comprising:
- a cylindrical envelope, at least a portion of which is IR transmissive, the envelope having at least one inlet port in an outer surface thereof, coupled to a source of a gas at a high pressure, and at least one outlet port in the outer surface thereof, coupled to allow the gas to exit the envelope at a low pressure;
- and
- a cylindrical valve mounted to rotate coaxially within the envelope, the valve having at least one inlet hole and at least one outlet hole, such that as the valve rotates, the inlet and outlet holes are respectively brought into alignment with the inlet and outlet ports in alternation, so as alternately to admit the gas to the envelope through the inlet port and to allow the gas to exit through the outlet port, thereby thermally exciting the gas to emit IR radiation.
An infrared (IR) spectrograph, comprising:
- an IR source, comprising:
- an envelope, at least a portion of which is IR transmissive, and which is adapted to contain a molecular gas species;
- and
- a thermal excitation mechanism, adapted to thermally excite the gas in the envelope to emit IR radiation in a discrete spectrum comprising multiple spectral lines characteristic of the species;
- and
- a spectrometer, coupled to receive the IR radiation emitted by the molecular gas species in the envelope and to separate the spectral lines in the radiation so as to derive an emission spectrum of the species.
A method for infrared (IR) spectral analysis of a molecular gas species, comprising:
- filling an envelope, at least a portion of which is IR transmissive, with the molecular gas species;
- thermally exciting the gas species in the envelope to emit IR radiation in a discrete spectrum comprising multiple spectral lines characteristic of the species;
- and
- separating the spectral lines in the emitted radiation so as to derive an emission spectrum of the species.
An infrared (IR) radiation source, comprising:
- an envelope, at least a portion of which is IR transmissive, and which is adapted to contain a gas that comprises a molecular gas species;
- and
- an excitation mechanism, coupled to the envelope so as to thermally excite the gas, causing the species to emit IR radiation in a discrete spectrum characteristic of the species, substantially without heating the envelope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.