Multilaser Herriott Cell for Planetary Tunable Laser Spectrometers

Geometric optics and matrix methods are used to mathematically model multilaser Herriott cells for tunable laser absorption spectrometers for planetary missions. The Herriott cells presented accommodate several laser sources that follow independent optical paths but probe a single gas cell. Strategically placed output holes located in the far mirrors of the Herriott cells reduce the size of the spectrometers. A four-channel Herriott cell configuration is presented for the specific application as the sample cell of the tunable laser spectrometer instrument selected for the sample analysis at Mars analytical suite on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory mission.