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Don't Hold Your Breath! (1Mar95)
(from NSO, NOAO Newsletter No. 41, 1 March 1995)

A new evacuated optical path for FTS laboratory observations will be used
for the first time in February. Observers from NASA's Upper Atmosphere
Research program will use the FTS to record the infrared spectrum of water.
To successfully perform these observations, the atmospheric water vapor had
to be removed from the optical path.  Evacuated optical cells have been
designed that will couple the 25-cm and 150-cm absorption cells to the FTS
tank and a new evacuated housing for the laboratory's infrared source.  The
optical path between the FTS exit ports and detector dewars will also be
evacuated. This new evacuated optical path is expected to replace the dry
nitrogen purge previously used with programs that employed the 25-cm and
150-cm absorption cells.

Claude Plymate

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