Operating range of a differential-absorption lidar based on a CO2 laser

The echolocation range and the remote sensing of ethylene in the atmosphere are simulated for a differential-absorption lidar based on TEA CO₂ lasers. The dependence of the lidar echolocation range on the energy and the peak power of probe pulses is shown to be close to logarithmic. It is demonstrated that the use of narrow-band spectral filters is justified only for low-noise detectors and viewing angles of the receiver exceeding 5 mrad. The relative measurement error of the ethylene concentration in the atmosphere is estimated for various detection modes.