The Applied Physics Group (APG) at UCD

Who are we and what do we do :

The Applied Physics Group at University College Dublin has a long experience in the design and application of solutions to enviromental and industrial problems, often using Remote Sensing. The main areas of expertise are in:

Spectro-photometry / radiometry.
Satellite calibration / validation.
Airborne Remote Sensing.
Environmental Monitoring.
Ocean Optics.

We concentrate our activities on the spectroscopic analysis of absorption, reflectance, transmission, scattering and fluorescence. These can give us information on almost any field of human activity. The group is also involved in all aspects of the Remote Sensing of ocean colour by satellite (Sea-Wifs etc.) and aeroplane, from instrument design and construction to atmospheric modelling and data inversion. Field missions for ocean colour research have included projects in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean.

Recent and current research projects are air and sea quality, industrial process control, atmospheric modelling, ocean water constituent estimation, the monitoring of lakes through airborne spectrometry and toxin producing algal strains using fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy.

NEWSFLASH

The Irish Times (11^th May 1998) published a large article on the lakes project, highlighting its success and the endorsment of the Environmental Protection Agency. Click here for a copy of the article.

Also, probably the APG's most popular project was the use of a spectrometer to test Beer quality, and was featured on the the BBC's : " Tomorrow's World " (16^th December 1996), click here.

Instrumentation :

The APG has built airborne spectrometers for enviromental monitoring, including the system used by the Irish Enviromental Protection Agencyfor its lake monitoring programme and the system used by Teagasc (the Irish Agricultural Research Agency). PMS has been used for remote sensing in Ocean Optics in the Irish sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Also, as the coordiantor of a MAST funded consortium, APG has built a submarine spectrometer, MARAS (Marine Radiometric Spectrometer) to provide sea-truth for the Sea-Wifs and MERIS progammes. Work and applications in these areas continue. This work lead Dr Eon O'Mongain to form the company Spectral Signatures Ltd. to exploit this expertise. The work involves considerable use of optics and the latest detection instrumentation in the measuring of environmental parameters.

All instrumentation developed by The APG is marketed by Spectral Signatures Ltd., such as :

Applied Physics People :

Dr. Eon O'Mongain

Applied Physics Group Leader

Micheal Lynch -- Analysis of the Bio-Optical properties of algae, to identify toxin producing strains.

Bram Hoeksema -- Development of new Instrumentation for MARAS / HydroSpec.

Part Time :

Stuart Green -- Reflectance modelling, constituent estimation, EPA Lakes Project.

Gerry Murphy -- Calibration and characterisation of an Ultra-Violet spectro-photometer.

Padraig Nally -- Undergraduate assisting in lake monitoring programmes.

Applied Physics Links :

The Irish EPA.

The Marine Institute.

MAST Home Page.

Specim Imaging Spectrometers.

Forbairt.

This page is maintained by Michael Lynch. Any suggestion / information can be obtained via e-mail ...

Snail mail :

Applied Physics Group.
Experimental Physics,
University College Dublin,
Dublin 4,
Ireland.

Ph. 353-1-7062200

Fax. 353-1-2837275

Spectral Signatures Ltd.
Roebuck,
University College Dublin,
Dublin 4,
Ireland.

Ph. 353-1-7067915

Fax. 353-1-2830669