Laser heterodyne radiometer for Mars sounding

In collaboration with the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics lab from the University of Oxford, the team is currently investigating the prospect of quantum cascade laser heterodyne radiometry for sounding methane in Mars's atmosphere from an orbiter. A miniature, low power instrument of that sort would be perfectly suited to this purpose, given the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars yielding very narrow, Doppler broadened, molecular lines.