Session
Session 6: Instruments / Science II
Abstract
This paper introduces a method of observing upper atmosphere (tropopause to over 200 Km, day and night) dynamics with simple small static passive broadband gas filtered imagers in low earth orbit. The method produces modulated signals by Doppler Scanning with Gas Filters (DSGF) and observing the atmosphere over a range of angles, from limb to nadir. These modulated signals, suggested by Curtis in 1974, but now readily exploited with modern infrared detector arrays, are found to have extraordinary unique information content, enabling the observation of wind and temperature at unprecedented spatial scales. These observations can now be achieved with simple static infrared imagers, and without absolute calibration of the sensed radiance. CUAD is the upper atmosphere component of a proposed meteorological suite of small sensors called METNET.
CUAD: Constellation for Upper Atmosphere Dynamics
This paper introduces a method of observing upper atmosphere (tropopause to over 200 Km, day and night) dynamics with simple small static passive broadband gas filtered imagers in low earth orbit. The method produces modulated signals by Doppler Scanning with Gas Filters (DSGF) and observing the atmosphere over a range of angles, from limb to nadir. These modulated signals, suggested by Curtis in 1974, but now readily exploited with modern infrared detector arrays, are found to have extraordinary unique information content, enabling the observation of wind and temperature at unprecedented spatial scales. These observations can now be achieved with simple static infrared imagers, and without absolute calibration of the sensed radiance. CUAD is the upper atmosphere component of a proposed meteorological suite of small sensors called METNET.
