Engineering topics

Gunson, M. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Gunson, M. R..

82 records · Page 5

NASA NTRS1992

Middle and upper atmosphere pressure-temperature profiles and the abundances of CO2 and CO in the upper atmosphere from ATMOS/Spacelab 3 observations

An improved method for retrieving pressure-temperature profiles is described and is used to retrieve profiles of the kinetic-temperature and atmospheric-pressure profiles between 20 and 116 km altitudes and the CO2 and CO volume-mixing ratios between 70 and 116 km, using the IR occultation spectra recorded by the Spacelab 3 atmospheric trace molecular spectroscopy (ATMOS) Fourier transform spectrometer between April 29 and May 6, 1985. Profiles are derived for six ATMOS occultations. The CO2 and CO volume-mixing profiles are compared with previous observations and model predictions. Evidence is found for vibrational non-LTE by analyzing the lines of the (nu-2 + nu-3 - nu-2) (C-12)(O-16) band. Results are used for deriving (C-12)(O-16) (010) vibrational temperatures, which are compared with the retrieved kinetic temperatures and the predictions of non-LTE effects by recent models.

Rinsland, C. P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The 1985 chlorine and fluorine inventories in the stratosphere based on ATMOS observations at 30 deg North latitude

Results are presented of an investigation of the Cl and F inventories derived from the concentrations of eleven Cl- and F-bearing organic and inorganic species throughout the atmosphere, based on observations with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy instrument aboard the Space Shuttle during the Spacelab 3 mission of April 29 to May 6, 1985. It was found that, in April-May 1985, near 30 deg N, the mean total stratospheric concentrations of Cl and F were 2.58 +/-0.10 ppbv and 1.15 +/-0.12 ppbv, respectively. Partitioning among the source, sink, and reservoir species was consistent with the conservation of the F and Cl budgets throughout the stratosphere. It is shown that the budgets of Cl and F above about 45 km altitude can be determined accurately by measuring only HCl, HF, and CF4 and provide a straightforward timely reference point for future inventories and trends evaluations.

Zander, R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Stratospheric profiles of heavy water vapor isotopes and CH3D from analysis of the ATMOS Spacelab 3 infrared solar spectra

The isotopic composition of stratospheric water vapor and methane was investigated. Stratospheric profiles of HDO, (H-18)2O, (H-17)2O, and CH3D were derived from solar occultation spectra recorded on April 30 - May 1, 1985 by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy Fourier transform spectrometer aboard Spacelab 3. The profiles of the three water-vapor isotopes showed an increase in the volume mixing ratio with altitude. The measured profiles of D/H in water vapor showed a large depletion in the lower stratosphere (about 63 percent relative to standard mean ocean water, SMOW, at 20 km) and a small increase in D/H with altitude at higher altitudes, up to 34 km. The D/H ratio in stratospheric methane was close to the corresponding isotopic ratio in SMOW.

Rinsland, C. P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The fundamental quadrupole band of (N-14)2 - Line positions from high-resolution stratospheric solar absorption spectra

Accurate measurements of the positions of O- and S-branch lines of the (1-0) vibration-rotation quadrupole band of molecular nitrogen (N-14)2 are reported. Improved Dunham coefficients were derived from a simultaneous least squares analysis of these measurements and selected infrared and far infrared data. The new measurements were performed using stratospheric solar occultation spectra recorded with Fourier transform spectrometer instruments, operated at unapodized spectral resolutions of 0.002 and 0.01/cm.

Rinsland, C. P.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Stratospheric ClONO2, HCl, and HF concentration profiles derived from Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy experiment Spacelab 3 observations - An update

Results are presented on a reanalysis and reinterpretation of solar IR absorption spectra obtained during April-May 1985 observations by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy instrument aboard Spacelab 3. Results yield updated volume mixing ratio profiles of ClONO2, HCl, and HF. It is shown that the updated HCl and HF results reflect changes below 30 km due to the use of smaller pressure-broadened half-widths, and that the changes in updated ClONO2 profiles are a consequence of adopting improved sets of line parameters. The new ClONO2 have an accuracy of + or - 20 percent.

Zander, R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Measurements of CH4, N2O, CO, H2O, and O3 in the middle atmosphere by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy Experiment on Spacelab 3

The volume mixing ratios of five minor gases (CH4, N2O, CO, H2O, and O3) have been retrieved through the middle atmosphere from the analysis of 0.01/cm resolution infrared solar occultation spectra recorded near 28 deg N and 48 deg S latitudes with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy instrument, flow on board Spacelab 3 (April 30 through May 6, 1985). The results are in general agreement with reported measurements from ground-, balloon-, and satellite-based instruments for the same seasons. In detail, the vertical profiles of these gases show the effects of the upper and middle atmospheric transport patterns dominant during the season of these observations. The profiles inferred at different longitudes around 28 deg N suggest a near-uniform zonal distribution of these gases, for conditions corresponding to late spring. The sunrise occultation measurements point to a larger longitudinal variability in the vertical distribution of these gases at 48 deg S.

Gunson, M. R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The ATMOS (Atmospheric Trace MOlecule Spectroscopy) experiment - A tool for global monitoring of the middle atmosphere

A review is presented of the objectives, instrumentation, performance and results of the ATMOS program developed by NASA-JPL as part of the Spacelab 3 shuttle payload. ATMOS was developed to obtain high-resolution spectroscopic information of the middle atmosphere, from which the vertical distribution of the most possible trace and minor molecules could be retrieved. A complete occultation included not only data recorded when the optical path traversed the earth's atmosphere, but also many spectra with tangent heights big enough for no more telluric absorptions to be detected. The averaging of such 'high sun' observations has provided high quality solar spectra totally free of atmospheric absorption features.

Zander, R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Measurements of CH4, N2O, CO, H2O and O3 in the middle atmosphere by the ATMOS experiment on Spacelab 3

The volume mixing ratios of five minor gases (CH4, N2O, CO, H2O, and O3) were retrieved through the middle atmosphere from the analysis of 0.01/cm resolution infrared solar occultation spectra recorded near 28 N and 48 S latitudes with the ATMOS (Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy) instrument, flown on board Spacelab 3. The results, which constitute the first simultaneous observations of continuous profiles through the middle atmosphere for these gases, are in general agreement with reported measurements from ground, balloon and satellite-based instruments for the same seasons. In detail, the vertical profiles of these gases show the effects of the upper and middle atmospheric transport patterns dominant during the season of these observations. The profiles inferred at different longitudes around 28 N suggest a near-uniform zonal distribution of these gases. Although based on fewer observations, the sunrise occultation measurements point to a larger variability in the vertical distribution of these gases at 48 S.

Gunson, M. R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Remote sensing of the earth's atmosphere by infrared absorption spectroscopy - An update of the ATMOS program

The NASA's Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment was designed to address the requirements of the remote sensing of atmospheric composition on a four-dimensional basis (latitude, longitude, altitude, and time), necessary for understanding and predicting the effect of changes on the chemical balance of the atmosphere. This paper describes the ATMOS program, overviews the ATMOS instrument and its performance, and presents the results obtained during its first flight as part of the Spacelab 3 Space Shuttle mission (April 29 through May 6, 1985). Also discussed are prospects for further missions.

Zander, R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Tunable diode laser Stark modulation spectroscopy for rotational assignment of the HNO3 7.5-micron band

The technique of Stark modulation spectroscopy for unraveling and assigning rotationally resolved dense molecular spectra has been employed using a tunable diode laser (TDL) source. Doppler-limited absorption and Stark modulation spectra of the HNO3 7.5-micron band near the 1326/cm band origin are presented with preliminary values of the excited-state rovibrational constants derived from both TDL and Bomem Fourier transform IR spectra.

Webster, C. R.↗