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With a 1.7% spectral-resolution filter-wheel spectrometer, 1.2-5.2-micron spectra have been obtained for a sample of carbon stars. The previously unidentified 3.9-micron band is attributed to a combination of CS and C2H2. The first observation of SiO in a carbon star is also reported.
The Yoshino et al. (1988) measurements of absolute cross sections and those of Cheung et al. (1988) for spectroscopic constants are presently used to derive the predissociation linewidths of the (3,0)-(11,0) Schumman-Runge bands of (O-18)2 and O-16O-18, in the 180-196 nm wavelength region. Linewidths are determined as parameters in the nonlinear, least-squares fitting of calculated cross-sections to measured ones. The predissociation linewidths obtained are noted to often be greater than previously obtained experimental values for both isotopic molecules.
Results of absorption measurements indicate that the PAH species responsible for the UIR (unidentified infrared) emission probably exist in a condensed form rather than as isolated molecules. It is shown that the peak absorption of the C-H stretch feature of vapor-phase PAHs occurs at a higher frequency than that of the condensed-phase PAHs and does not match the 3.289-micron interstellar feature. The vapor-phase experiments duplicate the phenomenon of the 3.3-micron profile simplification of PAH in KBr at elevated temperature. This confirms that the change of the profile with temperature is an intrinsic molecular effect, and is not a consequence of matrix (KBr) or condensed state interactions.
Improved 3 micron spectra show that band depths have been underestimated. Using a revised continuum, the asteroid and meteorite spectra match better. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Absolute line intensities, band intensities, and Herman-Wallis parameters were measured for the (01(sup 1)2)(sub I) from (00(sup 0)0)(sub I) perpendicular band of (12)C(16)O2 centered at 5315/cm, along with the three nearby associated hot bands: (10(sup 0)2)(sub II) from (01(sup 1)0)(sub I) at 5248/cm, (02(sup 2))(sub I) from (01(sup 1)0)(sub I) at 5291/cm, and (10(sup 0)2)(sub I) from (01(sup 1)0)(sub I) at 5349/cm. The nearby parallel hot band (30(sup 0))(sub I) from (10(sup 0)0)(sub II) at 5218/cm was also included in this study.
Data Collection 5 processing for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the NASA Earth Observing System EOS Terra and Aqua spacecraft includes an algorithm for detecting multilayered clouds in daytime. The main objective of this algorithm is to detect multilayered cloud scenes, specifically optically thin ice cloud overlying a lower-level water cloud, that presents difficulties for retrieving cloud effective radius using single layer plane-parallel cloud models. The algorithm uses the MODIS 0.94 micron water vapor band along with CO2 bands to obtain two above-cloud precipitable water retrievals, the difference of which, in conjunction with additional tests, provides a map of where multilayered clouds might potentially exist. The presence of a multilayered cloud results in a large difference in retrievals of above-cloud properties between the CO2 and the 0.94 micron methods. In this paper the MODIS multilayered cloud algorithm is described, results of using the algorithm over example scenes are shown, and global statistics for multilayered clouds as observed by MODIS are discussed. A theoretical study of the algorithm behavior for simulated multilayered clouds is also given. Results are compared to two other comparable passive imager methods. A set of standard cloudy atmospheric profiles developed during the course of this investigation is also presented. The results lead to the conclusion that the MODIS multilayer cloud detection algorithm has some skill in identifying multilayered clouds with different thermodynamic phases
We present an algorithm for retrieving aerosol layer height (ALH) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) for smoke over vegetated land and water surfaces from measurements of the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) onboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). The algorithm uses Earth-reflected radiances in six EPIC bands in the visible and near-infrared and incorporates flexible spectral fitting that accounts for specifics of land and water surface reflectivity. The fitting procedure first determines AOD using EPIC atmospheric window bands (443 nm, 551 nm, 680nm, and 780 nm), then uses oxygen (O2) A and B bands (688 nm and 764 nm) to derive ALH, which represents an optical centroid altitude. ALH retrieval over vegetated surface primarily takes advantage of measurements in the O2B band. We applied the algorithm to EPIC observations of several biomass burning events over the United States and Canada in August 2017. We found that the algorithm can be used to obtain AOD and ALH multiple times daily over water and vegetated land surface. Validation is performed against aerosol extinction profiles detected by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and against AOD observed at nine Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites, showing, on average, an error of 0.58 km and a bias of -0.13 km in retrieved ALH and an error of 0.05 and a bias of 0.03 in retrieved AOD. Additionally, we show that the aerosol height information retrieved by the present algorithm can potentially benefit the retrieval of aerosol properties from EPIC’s ultraviolet (UV) bands.
We present an algorithm for retrieving aerosol layer height (ALH) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) for smoke and dust over vegetated land and water surfaces from measurements of the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) onboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). Our algorithm uses EPIC atmospheric window bands to determine AOD and then takes advantage of oxygen A and B bands to derive ALH. We applied this algorithm on several dust and smoke events. Validation shows our results are of high accuracy.
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Models of the spectral reflectivity at the center of the disk of Jupiter from 1450 to 3150 angstroms are presented. The reflectivity was computed from 30 low-dispersion IUE spectra taken during the 1978-1980 solar maximum. A vertically inhomogeneous radiative transfer program was used to compute model reflectivities of various stratospheric compositions for comparison. Ammonia and acetylene are well determined because they show narrow absorption bands in the ultraviolet. Possible compositions to improve the fit to the data below 1800 angstroms are suggested. The data are too noisy to detect possible CO Cameron band absorption near 2000 angstroms.
The Earth Polychromatic Camera (EPIC) onboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft takes images of the sunlit face of Earth from a million miles away. Earlier work showed that EPIC detected the specular reflection of sunlight (that is, sun glint) from ice crystals floating in cold clouds over land; here we show that this phenomenon can also be detected over oceans. Furthermore, the results show that - using its observations at Oxygen A-band absorption bands - EPIC can distinguish glints off marine ice clouds from those off the ocean surface. The analysis of more than two years of EPIC data reveals that the two kinds of glints are detected with comparable frequency. Glints off clouds are shown to be generally brighter but smaller in spatial extent. It is also demonstrated that glints off ice clouds have a discernible effect on the regional mean reflectance and that EPIC observations can help constrain the radiative contribution of oriented ice crystals.
The absorption band of molecular oxygen, centered at 760]en1] nm, is the atmospheric absorber for the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) systems used to measure atmospheric temperature, pressure, and density. To provide accurate line parameters for such systems, a careful spectroscopic study was made of the A-band, with measurements of line strengths, widths, pressure-induced frequency shifts, and collisional narrowing effects. The width and shift parameters were measured over a temperature range of -20 to 100 C so that the temperature dependence of these parameters can also be determined. To analyze the results, a least-squares fiting routine was written to fit standard line profiles to the observed profiles. These measurements, which include the first observations of pressure shifts and collisional narrowing in the band, are an important contribution to lidar system utilizing the A-band.
Infrared biconical reflectance spectra of 60 powdered meteorite samples, representing 50 different stony meteorites, were measured as analogues of asteroidal regolith. Representative samples were measured in directional hemispherical reflectance to assure that Kirchhoff's Law can be used to predict relative emissivity from the reflectance spectra. These spectral data confirm that the O-H fundamental absorption band near 2.9 microns is an extremely sensitive indicator of incipient alteration, which often has taken place in powdered meteorite samples exposed only to water vapor in the air. Such non-carbonaceous samples typically contain less than 1 percent water by weight. Likewise, the C-H fundamental absorption bands near 3.4 and 3.5 microns are equally sensitive indicators of contamination with volatile hydrocarbons, which can also be absorbed from the air. The heavy, macromolecular hydrocarbons native to chondrites do not display such heavy bands, making detection of these bands in remote sensing of asteroids unlikely. Despite the spectral artifacts introduced by alteration and hydrocarbon contamination, powdered stony meteorites display a wide variety of real spectral features that can be used for their identification, including residual reststrahlen bands, absorption bands, and the Christiansen feature. Researchers found that the wavelengths of the peaks or troughs of each of these spectral features can be used independently to infer meteorite composition, but the best results are obtained when the entire spectral curve is used, or at least the portion of it encompassed by the 8 to 14 micron atmospheric window, in a digital search library.
Sub-band absorption at 1550 nm has been demonstrated and characterized on silicon Geiger mode detectors which normally would be expected to have no response at this wavelength. We compare responsivity measurements to singlephoton absorption for wavelengths slightly above the bandgap wavelength of silicon (approx. 1100 microns). One application for this low efficiency sub-band absorption is in deep space optical communication systems where it is desirable to track a 1030 nm uplink beacon on the same flight terminal detector array that monitors a 1550 nm downlink signal for pointingcontrol. The currently observed absorption at 1550 nm provides 60-70 dB of isolation compared to the response at 1064 nm, which is desirable to avoid saturation of the detector by scattered light from the downlink laser.
Recent years, many researchers have been observing a lot of asteroid reflectance spectra in the UV, visible to NIR at wavelength region. Reflectance spectroscopy of asteroid at this range should bring us a lot of information about its surface materials. Pyroxene and olivine have characteristic absorption bands in this wavelength range. Low-Ca pyroxene has two absorption bands around 0.9 microns and 1.9 microns. The more Ca and Fe content, the longer both absorption band centers. On the other hand, reflectance spectrum of olivine has three complicated absorption bands around 1 m, and no absorption feature around 2 microns. In general, reflectance spectra of many asteroids that are considered to be silicate rich (i.e., S- and A type asteroids) show redder slope and more subdued absorption bands than those of terrestrial minerals and meteorites. These features are now believed to be caused by the space weathering effect, which is probably caused by micrometeorite bombardment and/or solar wind. This process causes nanophase reduced iron (npFe(sup 0)) particles near the surface of mineral grains, which leads the optical change. Therefore, the space weathering effect should be removed from asteroid reflectance spectra to compare with those of meteorite and terrestrial minerals. In this report, we will apply the expanded modified Gaussian model (MGM) to the reflectance spectra of S-type asteroids 7 Iris and 532 Herculina and compare them with those of meteorites.
Visual spectra and photometry from 0.35 to 18 microns show that AFGL 2789 may be one of the most interesting of the infrared sources now identified with reflection nebulae. It has an Ae-type shell spectrum with strong emission lines of hydrogen, Fe II, Cr II, and Ti II, but the most remarkable feature is a broad absorption band near 5500 A, presumably molecular, with three possible band heads. This absorption band was present on only one of two spectra taken one night apart. The two known molecules with wavelengths closest to the observed band heads are C2 and H2O(+), although there are problems with either of these as possible identifications.
Near-infrared spectral reflectance data were obtained for 12 localized lunar dark mantle deposits. The dominant feature in these data is the Fe(+2) absorption band in the 1.0 micron wavelength region. In order to emphasize differences in the characteristics of this absorption band, a straight-line continuum was removed from these spectra. On the basis of the depth and shape of this 1.0 micron absorption band, these spectra can be separated into three groups. Group 1 includes spectra from Grimaldi pyroclastics, Franklin floor, Atlas dhc 1, and Archimedes south rim. Absorption band centers in this group are located near 0.93 to 0.95 microns, and depths are approximately 4 to 5%. The shape of the 1.0 micron band in these spectra can be described as check-like, with a straight, steep short-wavelength edge and a straight longer-wavelength edge with a shallower slope. Group 2 is comprised of spectra from Aristoteles East 1 and 2, Rima Fresnel and Atlas dhc 2. These 1.0 micron bands are centered near 0.96 micron, and are deeper (7%) and more symmetrical than those in Group 1. Spectra in group 3 are represented by that of J. Herschel; which have a moderately deep (7%), broad absorption band in the 1.0 micron wavelength region.