Temperature measurements of single droplets by use of laser-induced phosphorescence

A novel technique for measuring droplet temperatures has been demonstrated. Laser-induced phosphorescence from thermographic phosphors, seeded to distilled water and iso-octane, was used to measure temperatures of single falling droplets. The phosphors were excited by the fourth and third harmonies of a Nd:YAG laser. The subsequent emission was evaluated by spectral and temporal investigations of the thermographic phosphors Mg4FGeO6:Mn and La2O2S:Eu, respectively. The spectral and the temporal methods permitted temperature measurements of free-falling droplets up to 433 K. Results from both methods, which show an estimated accuracy of better than 1%, are presented. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.