Capabilities of Open Path Instrumentation

摘要

The present state of five different types of open path technologies are discussed. Typically the performance of open path instrumentation is specified by a minimum detection limit, or MDL. The MDL is usually defined as the statistical performance of the instrument during a short period of time under ideal conditions. In practice however, the abilities of these instruments are usually limited by other factors relating to real world factors such as alignment and humidity. The capabilities of open path instruments employing different technologies under practical conditions is explored.