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At least 307 records · Page 17

Calibration of the reflectance of hard targets for a coherent Doppler lidar

Data on the bihemispherical and directional-hemispherical reflectance were measured on a gold standard, a flowers of sulfur secondary standard, glass bead blasted aluminum, and 120 grade aluminum oxide sandpaper. These reflectances were measured for the P(24) and P(20) 10-micron and R(26), R(20), and P(20) 9-micron CO2 lines. The specular and retroreflection character of scattering from aluminum and sandpaper was evident in the measurements. The results agree reasonably well with previous measurements. Also when the sphere is irradiated with polarized light no difference was noted in the reflectance, which indicates that the integrating sphere is a depolarizer.

Anderson, Richard↗

An inertial velocity reference for the NASA airborne Doppler lidar

The following four tasks were studied: (1) modification of the calibration routines to calibrate the Inertial Measurement Unit gyroscope drifts with fixed platform heading; (2) modification of the calibration routines to calibrate the Inertial Measurement Unit accelerometers; (3) checking overall software again for errors; and (4) providing documentation on the above work describing changes to the present software, results of these changes and future operating procedures.

Keck, Thomas S.↗

Doppler lidar wind measurements on the EOS - LAWS

This paper discusses the efforts currently underway to prepare for the deployment of the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) instrument on an Earth Observing System (EOS) polar orbiter and on the Space Station. Attention is given to the measurement techiques, which include ground-based and airborne measurements in the atmosphere, and to the scientific and the technical issues being addressed. Global wind profiles obtained with the LAWS will effect dramatic improvement in numerical weather prediction and will be useful in determining the midtroposphere steering currents that are important in hurricane track forecasts. The global wind data will also provide information on large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate dynamics and on biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles.

Fitzjarrald, Daniel E.↗

Measurements of aerosol properties needed to infer backscatter characteristics in support of the NASA Doppler Lidar program

During the first year two areas of work were emphasized, analysis of aerosol data to provide improved estimates of backscatter over the Pacific ocean and development of a global model for backscatter at different wavelengths and preparation and planning for the aircraft flights of the GLOVE program. Significant progress was made in each of these areas. The analytical work is a continuation of the GAMETAG analysis, and was directed toward the development of a backscatter model for the Pacific Oceanic free troposphere. This has included a further evaluation of relationships between the optical effects at different wavelengths, a comparison of modeled optical effects at differing temporal resolutions, and an investigation of the effects of sampling on the modeled results. An initial investigation of the predictability of 9 to 10 micrometers Beta values from other data sets as well as some preliminary comparisons of the modeling results with experimental data. The comparison of the optical effects was extended to make the comparisons for different sets of time bases between 1 and 20 minutes.

Patterson, E. M.↗

Simulated space-based Doppler lidar performance in regions of backscatter inhomogeneities

The prospect of obtaining directly measured winds on a global scale has raised questions about the expected quality of the lidar wind measurements and the potential for biases due to sampling patterns and line-of-sight impediments. Extensive computer simulations are ongoing to address these and other issues. One source of measurement bias is found in regions of the atmosphere where gradients in both lidar backscatter and the winds occur together. The potential biases that result are identified and their magnitudes estimated.

Emmitt, G. D.↗

Airborne coherent continuous wave CO2 Doppler lidars for aerosol backscatter measurement

Two focused coherent, continuous wave (CW) lidars have been developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for airborne and ground-based measurement of aerosol backscatter coefficients. The first of these instruments uses a mixture of CO2 and other gases, and measures backscatter at 10.6 m. The second lidar uses an isotope of carbon dioxide, which enables lasing at 9.1 m. The 10.6 m backscatter measurement serves as a reference to allow variations in backscatter due to aerosol concentration to be distinguished from variations due to spectral variability. The 10.6 m lidar has been used in airborne field programs since 1981. Development of the 9.1 m lidar was completed in early 1989. Recently, both lidars were flown on the NASA/Ames Research Center DC-8 research aircraft in the remote Pacific Basin as part of the NASA GLObal Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) survey missions. The GLOBE program, of which the survey missions are the centerpieces, supports design and simulation studies for NASA's prospective Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS).

Rothermel, Jeffry↗

Space-based Doppler lidar sampling strategies: Algorithm development and simulated observation experiments

Lidar Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) Simulation Models (LSM) were developed to evaluate the potential impact of global wind observations on the basic understanding of the Earth's atmosphere and on the predictive skills of current forecast models (GCM and regional scale). Fully integrated top to bottom LAWS Simulation Models for global and regional scale simulations were developed. The algorithm development incorporated the effects of aerosols, water vapor, clouds, terrain, and atmospheric turbulence into the models. Other additions include a new satellite orbiter, signal processor, line of sight uncertainty model, new Multi-Paired Algorithm and wind error analysis code. An atmospheric wind field library containing control fields, meteorological fields, phenomena fields, and new European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) data was also added. The LSM was used to address some key LAWS issues and trades such as accuracy and interpretation of LAWS information, data density, signal strength, cloud obscuration, and temporal data resolution.

Emmitt, G. D.↗

A compact high repetition rate CO2 coherent Doppler lidar

As part of its program to develop coherent heterodyne detection lidar technology for space, airborne, and ground based applications, the Optical Environment Division of the USAF's Phillips Laboratory developed a compact coherent CO2 TEA lidar system. Although originally conceived as a high altitude balloon borne system, the lidar is presently integrated into a trailer for ground based field measurements of aerosols and wind fields. In this role, it will also serve as a testbed for signal acquisition and processing development for planned future airborne and space based solid state lidar systems. The system has also found significance in new areas of interest to the Air Force such as cloud studies and coherent Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) systems.

Alejandro, S.↗

Simplified signal processing for an airborne CO2 Doppler lidar

In the development of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) airborne infrared lidar system (NAILS), we have emphasized a simple, modular design to suit the instrument to its mission of providing measurements of atmospheric structure and dynamics from an aircraft platform. Based on our research to this point, we believe that a significant simplification of the signal processing approach compared to that now used is possible by using high speed digitization of the signal. The purpose here is to place signal processing in the context of the overall system design and to explore the basis of the alternative technique so that the community can comment on the approach.

Schwiesow, R. L.↗

The effects of wavelength on coherent Doppler lidar performance

Hitherto, long-range wind-sensing coherent (heterodyne) lidars have utilized CO2 lasers (operating at a 10-micrometer wavelength) since these were the only high-power single-mode (spatial and axial) pulsed sources available. This property ensures temporal coherence over the required spatial resolution, e.g., the pulse length. Recent developments in Nd:YAG lasers makes possible the consideration of a 1.06-micrometer source (Kane et al., 1984). The relative merit of operation at various wavelengths is a function of system parameter, backscattering cross section, signal processing, beam propagation, and practical and eye safety considerations. These factors are discussed in the context of a global wind-sensing coherent lidar.

Lawrence, T. R.↗

The Double Edge Aerosol and Molecular Techniques for Doppler Lidar Wind Measurement

We have developed the theory for aerosol- and molecular-based lidar measurements of the wind using double edge versions of the edge technique. Aerosol-based wind measurements have been made at Goddard Space Flight Center and molecular-based wind measurements at the University of Geneva. We have demonstrated atmospheric measurements using these techniques for altitudes from 1 to more than 10 km. Measurement accuracies of better than 1.25 m/s have been obtained with integration times from 5 to 30 seconds. The measurements can be scaled to space and agree, within a factor of two, with satellite-based simulations of performance based on Poisson statistics.

Korb, C. Laurence↗

The Double Edge Technique for Doppler lidar wind measurement

The edge technique utilizes the edge of a high spectral resolution filter for high accuracy wind measurement using direct detection lidar. The signal is split between an edge filter channel and a broadband energy monitor channel. The energy monitor channel is used for signal normalization. The edge measurement is made as a differential frequency measurement between the outgoing laser signal and the atmospheric backscattered return for each pulse. As a result, the measurement is insensitive to laser and edge filter frequency jitter and drift at a level less than a few parts in 10(exp 10). We will discuss the methodology of the technique in detail, present a broad range of simulation results, and provide preprints of a journal article currently in press.

Korb, C. Laurence↗

Comparison of Continuous Wave CO2 Doppler Lidar Calibration using Earth Surface Targets in Laboratory and Airborne Measurements

Earth's surface signal was measured using a continuous wave 9.1 micron lidar over varying Californian terrain during a 1995 NASA airborne mission. These measurements were compared with laboratory backscatter measurements of various Earth surfaces giving good agreement, suggesting that the lidar efficiency can be estimated fairly well using Earth's surface signal.

Jarzembski, Maurice A.↗

Tropospheric Wind Observations with Doppler Lidars

Simpson Weather Associates has continued its efforts on the tools which operate the DLSM's s line-of-sight output products file. Due to the long model run times which were revealed in last month's benchmark tests, four model options for the LSM's atmospheric inputs are now included in the LSM. The user can choose to either spatially and/or temporally interpolate the inputs or use inputs closest to the DWL shot. A problem in the terrain assignment from the GADS was corrected. A database conversion tool was added to convert DWL line-of-sight ASCII files into database format for the graphic display models. Efforts have continued in simulating DWL horizontal wind components using the DAO ficcm Nature Run. Experiments 2 and 3 (40 days worth) were completed and sent to the DAO for their use in bracketing OSSE experiments. In addition, in order to investigate differences in the way regional (MM5) and global scale (ECMWF T213) models treat features such as clouds and subgrid scale variability, a gridded Mesoscale Atmospheric Data Set (MADS) was created and ready to be incorporated into simulation experiments.

Source record↗

Energy Measurement Studies for CO2 Measurement with a Coherent Doppler Lidar System

The accurate measurement of energy in the application of lidar system for CO2 measurement is critical. Different techniques of energy estimation in the online and offline pulses are investigated for post processing of lidar returns. The cornerstone of the techniques is the accurate estimation of the spectrum of lidar signal and background noise. Since the background noise is not the ideal white Gaussian noise, simple average level estimation of noise level is not well fit in the energy estimation of lidar signal and noise. A brief review of the methods is presented in this paper.

Beyon, Jeffrey Y.↗