Laser spectroscopy of free molecular oxygen dispersed in wood materials

The recently introduced Gas in Scattering Media Absorption Spectroscopy (GASMAS) technique is applied to the study of various wood samples. Molecular oxygen in the pores of the strongly scattering material is detected using diode laser spectroscopy around 760 nm. Diffuse light propagation in these media is studied by time-dispersion measurements. Furthermore, anisotropy related to the fibre structure of wood and gas diffusion properties are studied. Promising extensions of the experiments are discussed.