Abstract
The OMPS Limb sensor measures vertical profiles of atmospheric ozone from by collecting light scattered through the atmospheric limb of the Earth. Four OMPS Limb sensors have been built with two on orbit (aboard S-NPP and N21) and the other two through their ground characterization and calibration. The Limb sensor’s spectral response covers a wide range of wavelengths from 290nm through 1020nm and views the atmosphere from the surface of the Earth up to at least 65km. Due to the high-dynamic range of the data collected, in field stray light is the dominant source of uncertainty. Over the course of the four builds, a number of improvements in design and analysis have been made to both reduce, and better characterize in field stray light effects. The combination of these efforts has allowed for the most recent iteration of the sensor, intended for JPSS-4, to significantly exceed the performance of the initial version flown on Suomi-NPP. The most notable performance improvements have been made at the extreme long and short ends of the wavelength range as a result of changes to filters and a novel tapered slit.
Stray Light Performance Improvements for OMPS Limb Sensors
The OMPS Limb sensor measures vertical profiles of atmospheric ozone from by collecting light scattered through the atmospheric limb of the Earth. Four OMPS Limb sensors have been built with two on orbit (aboard S-NPP and N21) and the other two through their ground characterization and calibration. The Limb sensor’s spectral response covers a wide range of wavelengths from 290nm through 1020nm and views the atmosphere from the surface of the Earth up to at least 65km. Due to the high-dynamic range of the data collected, in field stray light is the dominant source of uncertainty. Over the course of the four builds, a number of improvements in design and analysis have been made to both reduce, and better characterize in field stray light effects. The combination of these efforts has allowed for the most recent iteration of the sensor, intended for JPSS-4, to significantly exceed the performance of the initial version flown on Suomi-NPP. The most notable performance improvements have been made at the extreme long and short ends of the wavelength range as a result of changes to filters and a novel tapered slit.