Detailed Performance Calculations: Goddard Group, Appendix D

Abstract

Two systems were described. The first used polarization to reduce scattered solar flux, the principal source of noise. The second used a narrowband detector and a different excitation wavelength. The results, which consider these systems, were presented emphasizing anticipated technology improvements because the analysis for each system required estimates of critical parameter even though each system would use existing technology. For the first, the information about the degree of polarization of the scattered solar flux was not measured but was estimated as 60 percent for viewing straight up with a solar zenith angle of 75 percent at sea level. The expected performance of this system therefore depends on the reliability of this estimate. For the second system, two estimates were required. First, the expected throughput of a Fabry-Perot interferometer operating at 309 nm, based on the performance exhibited by similar instruments working at other wavelengths, was estimated to be 3 percent. Second, the fluorescence efficiency of the proposed OH lines was estimated as 0.00004, since these quantities were not measured to date.