Performance and early results from the stratospheric and mesospheric sounder (SAMS) on Nimbus 7

The design and performance of SAMS, an infrared limb-scanning instrument for sounding the temperature and composition of the atmosphere from 15 to 150 km altitude, are reviewed. Some examples of preliminary results on temperature and water vapour and nitrous oxide abundance versus latitude and height are presented.     

An all-sky survey at 230 GHz by MLS on Aura

The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument is a small satellite-borne radio telescope. Its purpose is to make limb-scanning measurements of atmospheric composition. One of the gases to which it is sensitive is carbon monoxide (CO), detected via the J = 2 → 1 rotational transition at 230 GHz. CO is present in molecular gas clouds in the Milky Way. Although it was not designed for the purpose, MLS can detect emissions from galactic CO, allowing a map of the 230 GHz radio sky to be constructed. We report the MLS measurements of galactic radio emission and discuss their effect on the atmospheric mission of MLS. The region of the Milky Way with emissions strong enough to significantly affect MLS observations of atmospheric CO is identified. Ground-based radio astronomers have been mapping the sky using CO emission for many years. However, the MLS data are the first such survey to be carried out from space. The MLS survey covers a larger area of the sky than any other 230 GHz survey, but no previously unknown gas clouds are observed.     

星载全球大气波动成像仪研究

在卫星上对中间层顶区域的气辉辐射成像观测, 对于全球大气波动的监测和研究具有重要的意义. 利用TDICCD对O₂A (0-0)气辉进行成像观测, 计算了曝光积分时间、信噪比和能达到的最高空间分辨率, 分析了地球自转对空间分辨率的影响, 在此基础上提出一种星载全球大气波动成像仪方案, 该方案可以观测垂直波长大于10km的大气波动, 最高水平分辨率可以达到0.33km.      

Instrument concept and preliminary performance analysis of GLORIA

The Global Radiance Limb Imager Experiment for the Atmosphere (GLORIA) shall provide a detailed global picture of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere region (UTLS) and make available novel information on small-scale atmospheric dynamics.

The instrument will be a space borne imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer operating in the thermal infrared spectral region. It will produce spectrally resolved images of the earth’s limb with a vertical extension of 60 km and a horizontal extension of 400 km. The paper focuses on the preliminary instrument concept and on results of studies concerning sensitivity and spectrometric performance. GLORIA has been proposed as a national German space mission. An aircraft version is currently under development.     

带电云对大气电场随高度变化特征的影响

大气电场与雷暴活动、气候变化、大气污染、太阳活动密切相关,在特殊地形上探测大气电场的高度分布对于大气电学的相关研究具有重要意义。2020年9月12日,中国科学院鸿鹄专项团队将大气电场仪搭载在探空气球上,在青海省海西蒙古族藏族自治州大柴旦地区进行了大气电场高度分布的探测实验。本文分析讨论了此次实验中用到的电场仪、实验过程及实验结果。大气电场曲线中间凸起的部分对应电场仪穿过带电云层,因此将其分为三段并分别进行拟合。探测实验及分析结果表明:在不同高度处大气电场的主要影响因素不同,其分布规律会存在差异。此外,带电云会使大气电场强度整体增大,但云层中大气电场的高度分布仍能较好地符合指数变化规律。      

紫外后向散射探测臭氧总量的反演误差研究

通过探测紫外后向散射获取臭氧总量目前已经成为臭氧总量探测的主要方法之一. 本文以模拟计算为主要方法, 从模式计算误差, 反演算法误差和仪器误差三方面着手, 对影响臭氧总量反演精度的各个参数进行分析研究, 并对由其引起的臭氧总量反演误差进行定量计算, 研究结果对臭氧总量反演精度的提高和实际观测资料的处理有着重要的指导意义.      

电场的标定方法

介绍了球载双球式电场仪、微火箭电场仪和地面旋转式电场仪等3种仪器的标定方法.电场涉及空间物理、空间环境和雷电及地震等多种自然现象的特征参数,对电场的探测或监测应用日益广泛.在我国目前尚未建立电场的国家标准和军用标准的情况下,通过研制的较简易的电场标定系统,对不同结构的电场仪进行标定,均获得了与理论计算相符的结果,为电场测量数据的可信度提供了依据.      

Carbon monoxide spatial gradients over source regions as observed by SCIAMACHY: A case study for the United Kingdom

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important air pollutant whose emissions and atmospheric concentrations need to be monitored. The measurements of the SCIAMACHY instrument on ENVISAT are sensitive to CO concentration changes at all atmospheric altitude levels including the boundary layer. The SCIAMACHY CO measurements therefore contain information on CO emissions. Until now no studies have been published where the SCIAMACHY CO measurements have been used to quantify CO emissions by applying, for example, inverse modelling approaches. Here we report about a step in this direction. We have analysed three years of CO columns to investigate if spatial gradients resulting from United Kingdom (UK) CO emissions can be observed from space. The UK is an interesting target area because the UK is a relatively well isolated CO source region. On the other hand, the UK is not the easiest target as its emissions are only moderate and because the surrounding water has low reflectivity in the 2.3 μm spectral region used for CO retrieval. We determined horizontal CO gradients from seasonally and yearly averaged CO during 2003–2005 over the UK taking into account daily wind fields. We show that the measured CO longitudinal (downwind) gradients have the expected order of magnitude. The estimated 2σ error of the gradients depends on time period and applied filtering criteria (e.g., land only, cloud free) and is typically 10–20% of the total column. The gradients are barely statistically significant within the 2σ error margin. This is mainly because of the relatively high noise of the SCIAMACHY CO measurements in combination with a quite low number of measurements (∼100) mainly due to cloud cover.     

地形产生的山地波及其传播过程模拟研究

气流经过地形产生的山地波是大气重力波研究的重要类别之一.从大气运动的控制方程组出发,建立模拟地形产生的山地波及其传播过程的二维数值模式.利用水平背景风场、地形和垂直速度之间的关系,在模式中引入垂直速度扰动作为地形产生山地波的激发源.通过模拟该激发源引起的扰动即山地波在大气中的传播过程,再现了山地波的产生、传播及充分发展过程.通过分析水平波长、垂直波长、位温扰动、流线,在空间尺度上描述了山地波的产生、传播及充分发展的过程.在气流经过地形产生的山地波的传播过程中,其水平波长λ_x的范围为2.5~5km,垂直波长λ_z约为2.5km.这些结果与利用山地波线性理论计算的垂直波长一致,从而验证了本模式能够模拟地形产生的山地波及其传播过程,为深入了解山地波的产生过程及其在中高层大气中的传播机制和效应奠定了基础.      

Wave perturbations in the MLT at high northern latitudes in winter,observed by two SATI instruments

To investigate the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region, several ground-based instruments called SATI (Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager) were designed and built to measure airglow emission and temperature in the upper mesosphere. One SATI instrument was installed at Resolute Bay (74.7°N, 94.9°W) and has monitored the polar MLT region since November, 2001. In October 2007 another SATI instrument was installed at Eureka (80.0°N, 86.3°W) at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) as part of the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change (CANDAC) project. SATI is a spatial scanning Fabry–Perot spectrometer measuring column emission rates for several rotational lines of OH and O₂ airglow at 87 and 94 km height. The rotational temperatures are inferred from the ratios of these lines. The measurements are divided into 12 sectors with an annular field of view. The phase differences between the sectors yield information on the horizontal atmospheric wave direction and wavelength. Horizontal perturbations of 2–8 h period have correlatively been observed and investigated at both locations. Short-periodic oscillations identified as gravity waves with periods between 2 and 8 h propagate in southward and eastward directions, but in opposite directions in some cases. The wave propagation characteristics are often different at the two locations; the relationship with the lower mean wind is considered.     

动基座下自调平台对方位角测量的影响分析

自调平台通过光电传感器敏感基座二维姿态的变化,根据基座姿态角的变化量,通过执行器件对框架进行回调,使工作台面处于水平状态。自调平台能够为动基座下的测量仪器提供水平基准,为这类测量仪器在动基座环境下的正常使用提供了可能,例如经纬仪类仪器在船上的应用。通过对自调平台调平过程的分析发现,在调平过程中,基座上被测目标与调平工作面之间存在一定的方位偏转,该偏转直接影响到测量结果,属于测量误差。分析出影响方位偏转量的各个参数,并分别对各参数的影响程度进行了阐述。最后,根据分析结果给出使用自调平台的注意事项。     

The local neutron flux at low earth-orbiting altitudes

The COMPTEL instrument onboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has been used to measure the variation of the atmospheric neutron flux below 5 MeV as a function of vertical cutoff rigidity and spacecraft orientation at an altitude of 450 km. The instrumental 2.2 MeV background line, resulting from thermal neutron capture on hydrogen, was used for the measurement. The dependence of the 2.2 MeV rate on rigidity and geocentre zenith can be described by an analytic function: the line rate decreases linearly with geocentre zenith, and decreases exponentially with the vertical cutoff rigidity. The flux varies on average by about a factor of 3.7 between the extremes in rigidity, and by a factor of 1.7 between the extremes of spacecraft orientation with respect to the Earth. We believe that mass shielding is more important in attenuating the atmospheric albedo than as a source of secondary neutrons. The COMF'TEL instrument is well suited for a long-duration study of the dependence of the neutron flux on the vertical cutoff rigidity and the solar cycle.     

由电离层电位所建立的大气电状态

本文在已知电离层电位分布下, 解析地计算了大气电位, 电场和电流强度的全球分布.结果表明, 在大气导电率随高度呈指数增加的情况下, 100km高度上的电离层电位, 几乎无衰减地扫到25km以下.大气电场较强的区域主要在20km以下的低层大气区, 其垂直分量比水平分量大4个数量级.而中高层大气电场较弱, 且两分量量级相当.本文还提出了一种考虑地面形状对大气电场影响的解析方法.      

基于HITRAN数据库的大气激光雷达信号仿真

信号仿真研究是大气激光雷达研究的重要环节，结果可为激光雷达系统的设计和研制提供基础.本文仿真系统可用于激光雷达回波信号模拟.该仿真系统利用HITRAN数据库中的吸收谱线计算大气分子对激光的吸收光谱，并采用大气辐射传输模型中的气溶胶模式模拟气溶胶对激光的衰减.利用激光雷达方程，数值模拟了355nm，532nm以及1064nm的回波信号，并将532nm的数值模拟结果与实测结果进行对比，评估了激光雷达系统的光学效率.      

中层及低热层大气对局地时变热源的响应

采用二维交替方向隐格式(ADI),数值模拟了中高层大气对一个位于对流层高度范围的局地时变热源的响应．分析了这一过程中大气响应的能量密度,水平波数,垂直波数以及频率．模拟结果表明:响应波动携带能量向上传播,集中在较为狭窄的水平区域,该区域关于源的水平位置对称;相对于动量源驱动,热源的水平尺度对响应的水平波长决定性作用更加明显;对于高频振荡的热源,其响应的频率和源一致;响应的垂直波长(41 km)比源的垂直尺度(6 km)大得多．     

西藏阿里地区的晴天大气电场特征

晴天大气电场是一个区域大气电场变化的基准场,是大气电场特性的研究基础。对于具有不同地质条件、地理环境和地形特点的区域,晴天大气电场特征具有明显区别。利用在西藏阿里地震台（80.12°E,32.51°N）安装的一台场磨式大气电场仪于2021年10月10日至2021年11月10日观测到的数据,通过对大气电场数据建模与分析,结合气象条件,得到西藏阿里地区23天晴天条件下的平均卡耐基曲线。经过平滑处理去除仪器噪声的波动,得到西藏阿里地区的晴天条件下的标准卡耐基曲线,进而与北京市昌平区十三陵观测台站（116.23°E,40.25°N）同期的晴天大气电场特征进行对比,并对其电场特性差异和原因进行了讨论。研究结果对分析高原地区晴天大气电场特征具有重要的参考价值和科学意义。      

A balloon-borne sun-tracking multichannel photometer for atmospheric aerosol measurements

A balloon borne multichannel photometer for measurement of atmospheric scattering in the near ultraviolet and the visible wavelength regions has been developed at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad for study of the size distribution and number density of aerosols at tropospheric and lower stratospheric altitudes. The instrumentation involves tracking the sun in elevation and scanning in azimuth. The payload was recently flown on a 100 kg. balloon from the Hyderabad Balloon Facility on 18 April 1984. The balloon reached a float altitude of 35 km and good quality data has been obtained from an altitude of 6 km upto float altitude. Data analysis is still in progress. The present paper details the instrument design and presents a few illustrations of the instrument performance from this flight.     

An Event Horizon Imager(EHI) Mission Concept Utilizing Medium Earth Orbit Sub-mm Interferometry

Submillimeter interferometry has the potential to image supermassive black holes on event horizon scales, providing tests of the theory of general relativity and increasing our understanding of black hole accretion processes. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) performs these observations from the ground, and its main imaging targets are Sagittarius A* in the Galactic Center and the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy. However, the EHT is fundamentally limited in its performance by atmospheric effects and sparse terrestrial (u,v)-coverage (Fourier sampling of the image). The scientific interest in quantitative studies of the horizon size and shape of these black holes has motivated studies into using space interferometry which is free of these limitations. Angular resolution considerations and interstellar scattering effects push the desired observing frequency to bands above 500 GHz.
This paper presents the requirements for meeting these science goals, describes the concept of interferometry from Polar or Equatorial Medium Earth Orbits (PECMEO) which we dub the Event Horizon Imager (EHI), and utilizes suitable space technology heritage. In this concept, two or three satellites orbit at slightly different orbital radii, resulting in a dense and uniform spiral-shaped (u,v)-coverage over time. The local oscillator signals are shared via an inter-satellite link, and the data streams are correlated on-board before final processing on the ground. Inter-satellite metrology and satellite positioning are extensively employed to facilitate the knowledge of the instrument position vector, and its time derivative. The European space heritage usable for both the front ends and the antenna technology of such an instrument is investigated. Current and future sensors for the required inter-satellite metrology are listed. Intended performance estimates and simulation results are given.      

A comparison between CRISTA satellite data and Warner and McIntyre gravity wave parameterization scheme: Horizontal and vertical wavelength filtering of gravity wave momentum flux

An along-track analysis of temperature height profiles measured by the CRISTA satellite instrument was performed to obtain height profiles of absolute values of gravity wave momentum flux. Global distributions of momentum flux from CRISTA are compared to results of the Warner and McIntyre gravity wave parameterization scheme. Only a limited range of horizontal and vertical wavelengths is visible to the CRISTA instrument. Therefore the model results have to be filtered accordingly to make comparisons meaningful. We demonstrate the importance of such a wavelength filtering which significantly increases the correlation of observed and modeled momentum fluxes.