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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
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NASA NTRS1975

On the determination of atmospheric path length by passive microwave radiometer

Microwave radiometer techniques were evaluated for use in atmospheric path length correction of Pacific Plate Motion Experiment interferometer measurements. It is shown that passive microwave radiometry allows precise measurement of the brightness temperature of the sky. It is also noted that the technological requirements of radiometers are very different from the requirements of radio astronomy. The technology was used in the construction of radiometers which are sufficient for use in the path length correction problem. A simulation study shows that, when combined with surface meteorology data, passive microwave radiometer data would allow a determination of the path length correction to better than 2 cm at the zenith. By a careful choice of frequencies, a dual frequency system would allow a measurement of the path length correction to better than 4 cm at zenith angles as great as 60 deg. Because of the wide range of weather conditions to be expected for the PPME sites (which include Alaska, Hawaii and Massachusetts), it will probably be necessary to use a separate correction algorithm for each site.

Webster, W. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Geosynchronous Microwave Atmospheric Sounding Radiometer (MASR) feasibility studies. Volume 1: Management summary

The mission of the microwave atmospheric sounding radiometer (MASR) is to collect data to aid in the observation and prediction of severe storms. The geosynchronous orbit allows the continuous atmospheric measurement needed to resolve mesoscale dynamics. The instrument may operate in conjunction with this document, Volume 1 - Management, which summarizes the highlights of final reports on both the radiometer instrument and antenna studies. The radiometer instrument summary includes a synopsis of Volume 2 - Radiometer Receiver Feasibility, including design, recommended configuration, performance estimates, and weight and power estimates. The summary of the antenna study includes a synopsis of Volume 3 - Antenna Feasibility, including preliminary design tradeoffs, performance of selected design, and details of the mechanical/thermal design.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1978

Aperture and detector cavity considerations for wide and medium field-of-view radiometers

It is anticipated that comparison ground calibration radiometers for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite System (ERBSS) may well incorporate a receiver cavity to facilitate the electrical substitution calibration capability. The radiometers were specifically developed for direct solar measurements and incorporate narrow fields of view with total included angles of not more than 15 degrees. Special cavity design characteristics are required to achieve the potential accuracy of this type of radiometer. Adequate conical cavity designs have been developed to assure the five reflections which an entering photon must experience before it is allowed to exit the radiometer. Attention is given to the proposed hemispherical aperture configuration, typical paths of unwanted incoming radiation, a resolution of a skew ray into axial components, and aspects of cavity design.

Babcock, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

System considerations for an earth radiation budget scanning radiometer

Error sources that might affect the earth radiation budget (ERBSI) scanner radiometer are discussed. Effects of sensor time response, spatial averaging by the field of view, onboard processing, and level III averaging are examined, coverage of grid regions is considered, and an analysis procedure for a scanning radiometer is derived. ERBSI consists of a scanning radiometer, sensors, and a solar radiometer, and it is suggested that ERBSI be included in the instrument complement of NOAA operational spacecraft.

Smith, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The estimation of the propagation delay through the troposphere from microwave radiometer data

The uncertainity in propagation delay estimates is due primarily to tropospheric water, the total amount and vertical distribution of which is variable. Because water vapor both delays and attenuates microwave signals, the propagation delay, or wet path length, can be estimated from the microwave brightness temperature near the 22.235 GHz transition of water vapor. The data from a total of 240 radiosonde launches taken simultaneously were analyzed. Estimates of brightness temperature at 19 and 22 GHz and wet path length were made from these data. The wet path length in the zenith direction could be estimated from the surface water vapor density to an accuracy of 5 cm for the summer data and 2 cm for winter data. Using the brightness temperatures, the wet path could be estimated to an accuracy of 0.3 cm. Two dual frequency radiometers were refurbished in order to test these techniques. These radiometers were capable of measuring the difference in the brightness temperature at 30 deg elevation angle and at the zenith to an accuracy of about 1 K. In August 1975, 45 radiosondes were launched over an 11 day period. Brightness temperature measurements were made simultaneously at 19 and 22 GHz with the radiometers. The rms error for the estimation of wet path length from surface meteorological parameters was 3.2 cm, and from the radiometer brightness temperatures, 1.5 cm.

Moran, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Preliminary development of digital signal processing in microwave radiometers

Topics covered involve a number of closely related tasks including: the development of several control loop and dynamic noise model computer programs for simulating microwave radiometer measurements; computer modeling of an existing stepped frequency radiometer in an effort to determine its optimum operational characteristics; investigation of the classical second order analog control loop to determine its ability to reduce the estimation error in a microwave radiometer; investigation of several digital signal processing unit designs; initiation of efforts to develop required hardware and software for implementation of the digital signal processing unit; and investigation of the general characteristics and peculiarities of digital processing noiselike microwave radiometer signals.

Stanley, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A 94/183 GHz multichannel radiometer for Convair flights

A multichannel 94/183 GHz radiometer was designed, built, and installed on the NASA Convair 990 research aircraft to take data for hurricane penetration flights, SEASAT-A underflights for measuring rain and water vapor, and Nimbus-G underflights for new sea ice signatures and sea surface temperature data (94 GHz only). The radiometer utilized IF frequencies of 1, 5, and 8.75 GHz about the peak of the atmospheric water vapor absorption line, centered at 183.3 GHz, to gather data needed to determine the shape of the water molecule line. Another portion of the radiometer operated at 94 GHz and obtained data on the sea brightness temperature, sea ice signatures, and on areas of rain near the ocean surface. The radiometer used a multiple lens antenna/temperature calibration technique using 3 lenses and corrugated feed horns at 94 GHz and 183 GHz. Alignment of the feed beams at 94 GHz and 183 GHz was accomplished using a 45 deg oriented reflecting surface which permitted simultaneous viewing of the feeds on alternate cycles of the chopping intervals.

Gagliano, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Determination of the complex refractive index and size distribution of atmospheric particulates from bistatic-monostatic lidar and solar radiometer measurements

A method is presented for inferring both the size distribution and the complex refractive index of atmospheric particulates from combined bistatic-monostatic lidar and solar radiometer observations. The basic input measurements are spectral optical depths at several visible and near-infrared wavelengths as obtained with a solar radiometer and backscatter and angular scatter coefficients as obtained from a biostatic-monostatic lidar. The spectral optical depth measurements obtained from the radiometer are mathematically inverted to infer a columnar particulate size distribution. Advantage is taken of the fact that the shape of the size distribution obtained by inverting the particulate optical depth is relatively insensitive to the particle refractive index assumed in the inversion. Bistatic-monostatic angular scatter and backscatter lidar data are then processed to extract an optimum value for the particle refractive index subject to the constraint that the shape of the particulate size distribution be the same as that inferred from the solar radiometer data. Specifically, the scattering parameters obtained from the bistatic-monostatic lidar data are compared with corresponding theoretical computations made for various assumed refractive index values. That value which yields best agreement, in a weighted least squares sense, is selected as the optimal refractive index estimate. The results of this procedure applied to a set of simulated measurements as well as to measurements collected on two separate days are presented and discussed.

Reagan, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

An investigation of radiometer design using digital processing techniques

The use of digital signal processing techniques in Dicke switching radiometer design was investigated. The general approach was to develop an analytical model of the existing analog radiometer and identify factors which adversly affect its performance. A digital processor was then proposed to verify the feasibility of using digital techniques to minimize these adverse effects and improve the radiometer performance. Analysis and preliminary test results comparing the digital and analog processing approaches in radiometers design were analyzed.

Lawrence, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Deconvolution of wide field-of-view radiometer measurements of earth-emitted radiation. I - Theory

The theory of deconvolution of wide field-of-view (WFOV) radiometer measurements of earth-emitted radiation provides a technique by which the resolution of such measurements can be enhanced to provide radiant exitance at the top of the atmosphere with a finer resolution than the field of view. An analytical solution for the earth-emitted radiant exitance in terms of WFOV radiometer measurements is derived for the nonaxisymmetric (or regional) case, in which the measurements and radiant exitance are considered to be functions of both latitude and longitude. This solution makes it possible to deconvolve a set of WFOV radiometer measurements of earth-emitted radiation and obtain information with a finer resolution than the instantaneous field of view of the instrument. It is shown that there are tradeoffs involved in the selection between WFOV and scanning radiometers.

Smith, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Digital signal processing in microwave radiometers

A microprocessor based digital signal processing unit has been proposed to replace analog sections of a microwave radiometer. A brief introduction to the radiometer system involved and a description of problems encountered in the use of digital techniques in radiometer design are discussed. An analysis of the digital signal processor as part of the radiometer is then presented.

Lawrence, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Ground registration of data from an airborne Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer (MfMR)

The agricultural soil moisture experiment was conducted near Colby, Kansas, in July and August 1978. A portion of the data collected was taken with a five band microwave radiometer. A method of locating the radiometer footprints with respect to a ground based coordinate system is documented. The procedure requires that the airplane's flight parameters along with aerial photography be acquired simultaneously with the radiometer data. The software which documented reads in data from the precision radiation thermometer (PRT Model 5) and attaches the scene temperature to the corresponding multifrequency microwave radiometer data. Listings of the programs used in the registration process are included.

Richter, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Errors in scatterometer-radiometer wind measurement due to rain

The behavior of radiometer corrections for the scatterometer is investigated by simulating simple situations using footprint sizes comparable with those used in the SEASAT-1 experiment and also actual footprints and rain rates from a hurricane observed by the SEASAT-1 system. The effects on correction due to attenuation and wind speed gradients are examined independently and jointly. It is shown that the error in the wind-speed estimate can be as large as 200% at higher wind speeds. The worst error occurs when the scatterometer footprint overlaps two or more radiometer footprints and the attenuation in the scatterometer footprint differs greatly from those in parts of the radiometer footprints. This problem could be overcome by using a true radiometer-scatterometer system having identical coincident footprints comparable in size with typical rain cells.

Moore, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Six mechanisms used on the SSM/1 radiometer

Future USAF Block 5D Defense Meteorological Satellites will carry a scanning microwave radiometer sensor (SSM/1). SSM/1 senses the emission of microwave energy and returns to earth data used to determine weather conditions, such as rainfall rates, soil moisture, and oceanic wind speed. The overall design of the SSM/1 radiometer was largely influenced by the mechanisms. The radiometer was designed to be stowed in a cavity on the existing spacecraft. The deployment of the sensor is complex due to the constraint of this cavity and the need for precision in the deployment. The radiometer will continuously rotate, instead of oscillate, creating the need for a bearing and power transfer assembly and a momentum compensation device. The six mechanisms developed for this program are described.

Ludwig, H. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Performance of an airborne imaging 92/183 GHz radiometer during the Bering Sea Marginal Ice Zone Experiment (MIZEX-WEST)

An airborne imaging 92/183 GHz radiometer was recently flown onboard NASA's Convair 990 research aircraft during the February 1983 Bering Sea Marginal Ice Zone Experiment (MIZEX-WEST). The 92 GHz portion of the radiometer was used to gather ice signature data and to generate real-time millimeter wave images of the marginal ice zone. Dry atmospheric conditions in the Arctic resulted in good surface ice signature data for the 183 GHz double sideband (DSB) channel situated + or - 8.75 GHz away from the water vapor absorption line. The radiometer's beam scanner imaged the marginal ice zone over a + or - 45 degrees swath angle about the aircraft nadir position. The aircraft altitude was 30,000 feet (9.20 km) maximum and 3,000 feet (0.92 km) minimum during the various data runs. Calculations of the minimum detectable target (ice) size for the radiometer as a function of aircraft altitude were performed. In addition, the change in the atmospheric attenuation at 92 GHz under varying weather conditions was incorporated into the target size calculations. A radiometric image of surface ice at 92 GHz in the marginal ice zone is included.

Gagliano, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effect of vegetation on soil moisture sensing observed from orbiting microwave radiometers

The microwave radiometric measurements made by the Skylab 1.4 GHz radiometer and by the 6.6 GHz and 10.7 GHz channels of the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer were analyzed to study the large-area soil moisture variations of land surfaces. Two regions in Texas, one with sparse and the other with dense vegetation covers, were selected for the study. The results gave a confirmation of the vegetation effect observed by ground-level microwave radiometers. Based on the statistics of the satellite data, it was possible to estimate surface soil moisture in about five different levels from dry to wet conditions with a 1.4 GHz radiometer, provided that the biomass of the vegetation cover could be independently measured. At frequencies greater than about 6.6 GHz, the radiometric measurements showed little sensitivity to moisture variation for vegetation-covered soils. The effects of polarization in microwave emission were studied also.

Wang, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

An upward looking airborne millimeter wave radiometer for atmospheric water vapor sounding and rain detection

A 90/180 GHz multichannel radiometer is currently under development for NASA's 1985 Hurricane Mission onboard the Convair 990 research aircraft. The radiometer will be a fixed beam instrument with dual corrugated horns and a common lens antenna designed to operate simultaneously at 90 and 180 GHz. The all solid state front-end will contain three double side band data channels at 90 + or - 3 GHz, 180 + or - 3 GHz, and 180 + or - 7 GHz. The airborne radiometer will mount in a window port on the CV-990 and will maintain a fixed beam view approximately 14 degrees off zenith. The radiometer design is a Dicke chopper arrangement selected to achieve maximum absolute temperature accuracy and minimum brightness temperature sensitivity. Analog outputs of the three data channels will be calibrated dc voltages representing the observed radiometric brightness temperatures over the selected integration time.

Gagliano, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Design and development of a multibeam 1.4 GHz pushbroom microwave radiometer

The design and operation of a multiple beam, digital signal processing radiometer are discussed. The discussion includes a brief description of each major subsystem and an overall explanation of the hardware requirements and operation. A series of flight tests was conducted in which sea-truth sites, as well as an existing radiometer were used to verify the Pushbroom Radiometer performance. The results of these tests indicate that the Pushbroom Radiometer did meet the sensitivity design goal of 1.0 kelvin, and exceeded the accuracy requirement of 2.0 kelvin. Additional performance characteristics and test results are also presented.

Lawrence, R. W.↗