Diode laser measurements of concentration and temperature in microgravity combustion

Diode laser absorption spectroscopy provides a direct method of determinati ng species concentration and local gas temperature in combustion flames. Un der microgravity conditions, diode lasers are particularly suitable, given their compact size, low mass and low power requirements. The development of diode laser-based sensors for gas detection in microgravity is presented, detailing measurements of molecular oxygen. Current progress of this work a nd future application possibilities for these methods on the International Space Station are discussed.