Measurements of atmospheric NO3 radicals in Hefei using LED-based long path differential optical absorption spectroscopy*

NO3 radicals accumulate during the night, thereby being the most critical night oxidant. Owing to the low concentration and dramatic variation, the detection of atmospheric NO3 radicals is still challenging. In this paper, an LED-based Long Path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (LPDOAS) instrument is developed for measuring the atmospheric NO3 radicals. This instrument is composed of a Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope, a combined emitting and receiving fiber, and a red LED equipped with a thermostat, and has a center wavelength of 660 nm, covering the NO3 strongest absorption peak (662 nm). The influence of LED temperature fluctuations is discussed. The temperature of the LED lamp with a home-made thermostat is tested, showing a stability of ±0.1 °C. The principle and fitting analyses of LED-LPDOAS are presented. A retrieval example and a time series of NO3 radical concentrations with good continuity for one night are shown. The detection limit of NO3 for 2.6-km optical path is about 10 ppt.