High-altitude resolution stratospheric measurements with the Arecibo 430-MHz radar
Instrumental modification at the Arecibo Observatory are described, which make possible a resolution of 150 m, the maximum allowed by the transmitter bandwidth. Attention is given to digital decoding, the radar controller, and the fact that a complementary coded pulse scheme generating no pulse side lobes has been used for the first time. It is noted that power spectra of the signals corresponding to 256 altitudes are evaluated on line by means of an array processor. A profile of the E-W component of the wind as a function of altitude has been observed, as well as the discrete layered structure of turbulence, especially at higher altitudes; in addition, the maximum range at which an echo has been detected is about 31 km. The results obtained show the importance for stratospheric studies of high resolution when using radar to obtain wind information from the Doppler shift of turbulence echoes.