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At least 19 records

Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Column CO2: Airborne

Global atmospheric CO2 measurements are essential to resolving significant discrepancies in our understanding of the global carbon budget and, hence, humankind's role in global climate change. The science measurement requirements for CO2 are, however, extremely demanding (precision approximately 0.3%). We are developing a novel application of a Fabry-Perot interferometer to detect spectral absorption of reflected sunlight by CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere that should be able to achieve sufficient sensitivity and signal-to-noise to measure column CO2 at the target specification. We are currently constructing a prototype instrument for deployment on aircraft. The aircraft version will measure total column CO2 and CO2 below the aircraft as well as O2, which allows normalization of CO2 column amounts for varying surface height and pressure. This instrument will be a valuable asset in carbon budget field studies as well as a useful tool for evaluating existing and future space-based CO2 measurements. We will present the instrument concept, sensitivity calculations, and the results of testing a bench system in the laboratory and outdoors on the ground. We will also discuss our plan for deployment on the aircraft and potential flight applications to the CO2 budget problem.

Kawa, S. R.↗

Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Column CO2

Global atmospheric CO2 measurements are essential to resolving significant discrepancies in our understanding of the global carbon budget and, hence, humankind's role in global climate change. The science measurement requirements for CO2 are extremely demanding (precision approx. 0.3%). No atmospheric chemical species has ever been measured from space with this precision. We are developing a novel application of a Fabry-Perot interferometer to detect spectral absorption of reflected sunlight by CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere. Preliminary design studies indicate that the method will be able to achieve the sensitivity and signal-to-noise detection required to measure column CO2 at the target specification. The objective of this program is to construct a prototype instrument for deployment on an aircraft to test the instrument performance and our ability to retrieve the data in the real atmosphere. To date we have assembled a laboratory bench system to begin testing the optical and electronic components. We are also measuring signal and noise levels in actual sunlight to evaluate component performance.

Heaps, William S.↗

Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Column CO2

Global atmospheric CO2 measurements are essential to resolving significant discrepancies in our understanding of the global carbon budget and, hence, humankind's role in global climate change. The science measurement requirements for CO2 are extremely demanding (precision is less than .3%). No atmospheric chemical species has ever been measured from space with this precision. We are developing a novel application of a Fabry-Perot interferometer to detect spectral absorption of reflected sunlight by CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere. Preliminary design studies indicate that the method will be able to achieve the sensitivity and signal-to-noise detection required to measure column CO2 at the target specification. The objective of this program is to construct a prototype instrument for deployment on an aircraft to test the instrument performance and our ability to retrieve the data in the real atmosphere. To date we have assembled a laboratory bench system to begin testing the optical and electronic components. We are also undertaking some measurements of signal and noise levels for actual sunlight reflecting from the ground in order to evaluate the potential of some components to meet the exacting requirements of this measurement.

Heaps, William S.↗

Comparison of machine learning systems trained to detect Alfvén eigenmodes using the CO 2 interferometer on DIII-D

Abstract A Machine-Learning (ML) based detection scheme that automatically detects Alfvén Eigenmodes (AE) in a labelled DIII-D database is presented here. Controlling AEs is important for the success of planned burning plasma devices such as ITER, since resonant fast ions can drive AEs unstable and degrade the performance of the plasma or damage the first walls of the machine vessel. Artificial Intelligence could be useful for real-time detection and control of AEs in steady-state plasma scenarios by implementing ML-based models into control algorithms that drive actuators for mitigation of AE impacts. Thus, the objective is to compare differences in performance between using two different recurrent neural network systems (Reservoir Computing Network and Long Short Term Memory Network) and two different representations of the C O 2 phase data (simple and crosspower spectrograms). All C O 2 interferometer chords are used to train both models, but only one is processed during each training step. The results from the model and data comparison show higher performance for the RCN model (True Positive Rate = 90% and False Positive Rate = 14%), and that using simple magnitude spectrograms is sufficient to detect AEs. Also, the vertical C O 2 interferometer chord passing near the center is better for ML-based detection of AEs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Development of a Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Ultra-Precise Measurements of Column CO2

A passive Fabry-Perot based instrument is described for detecting column CO2 through absorption measurements at 1.58 microns . In this design, solar flux reaches the instrument platform and is directed through two channels. In the first channel, transmittance fi5nges from a Fabry-Perot interferometer are aligned with CO2 absorption lines so that absorption due to CO2 is primarily detected. The second channel encompasses the same frequency region as the first, but is comparatively more sensitive to changes in the solar flux than absorption due to CO2. The ratio of these channels is sensitive to changes in the total CO2 column, but not to changes in solar flux. This inexpensive instrument will offer high precision measurements (error 4%) in a compact package. Design of this instrument and preliminary ground-based measurements of column CO2 are presented here as well as strategies for deployment on aircraft and satellite platforms.

Wilson, Emily L.↗

Spectroscopic observations of winds on Venus

Measurements of the differential Doppler shift between various points on Venus using a high-resolution PEPSIOS interferometer. Using both a CO2 line and a Fraunhofer line a mean zonal-wind velocity of about -83 m/s is found near the equator; the velocity appears to vary from about -2 to -125 m/s with a time scale of greater than one week. Meridional velocities are measured to be weak. The equatorial zonal velocity appears to be smaller in the 'morning' than in the 'afternoon'. A comparison with reported velocities of the ultraviolet dark markings reveals general agreement in that both find the motion to be retrograde, variable, and accelerated during the day. A new potential source of systematic error in all spectroscopic determinations of the differential Doppler shift of nonuniformly illuminated objects is pointed out.

Traub, W. A.↗

Remote sounding of stratospheric temperatures using high resolution radiance measurements from the IRIS-D

Remote sounding of stratospheric temperatures up to 3.2 millibars is attempted using high resolution (unapodized) radiance measurements in the 15 micron CO2 band from the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer on Nimbus 4. Inversions are performed using the Chahine relaxation technique. Radiance data and simultaneous in situ temperature profiles are obtained from the Rocket/Nimbus Sounder Comparison. Numerical tests with synthetic radiance data show that the uncertainty in the retrieved temperatures due to random instrument noise is about 1.1 K when averaged over layers about 10 km thick. However, comparison of the measured radiances with the radiances calculated from the in situ profiles show the calculated radiances to be systematically higher than the measured radiances. The evidence indicates that systematic errors exist in both the radiance and the in situ measurements.

Gallery, W. O.↗

Determination of atmospheric backscatter at 10.6 microns

Profiles have been obtained for atmospheric aerosol backscatter coefficient versus altitude at four different geographical locations, by means of a 10.6-micron lidar that uses a CO2 laser. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer is used to separate the laser output beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam. The interferometer combines the reference beam with backscattered radiation collected by a telescope, and the combined beams are focused onto a cooled HgCdTe photodiode at the interferometer exit. Attention is given to the results of a backscatter study experiment flown aboard a NASA research aircraft.

Jones, W. D.↗

Prospects for Precision Measurement of CO2 Column from Space

In order to address the problem of sources and sinks of CO2 measurements are needed on a global scale. Clearly a satellite is a promising approach to meeting this requirement. Unfortunately, most methods for making a CO2 measurement from space involve the whole column. Since sources and sinks at the surface represent a small perturbation to the total column one is faced with the need to measure the column with a precision better than 1%. No species has ever been measured from space at this level. We have developed over the last 3 years a small instrument based upon a Fabry-Perot interferometer that is very sensitive to atmospheric CO2 and has a high signal to noise ratio. We have tested this instrument in a ground based configuration and from aircraft platforms simulating operation from a satellite. We will present results from these tests and discuss ways that this promising new instrument could be used to improve our understanding of the global carbon budget.

Heaps, William S.↗

Progress on Passive Sensor for Ultra-Precise Measurement of Carbon Dioxide from Space

Global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxides (CO2) are needed to resolve significant discrepancies that exist in our understanding of the global carbon budget and, therefore, man's role in global climate change. The science measurement requirements for CO2 are extremely demanding (precision c .3%) No atmospheric chemical species has ever been measured from space with this precision. We are developing a novel application of a Fabry-Perot interferometer to detect spectral absorption of reflected sunlight by CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere. Preliminary design studies indicate that the method will be able to achieve the sensitivity and signal-to-noise required to measure column CO2 at the target specification. We are presently engaged in the construction of a prototype instrument for deployment on an aircraft to test the instrument performance and our ability to retrieve the data in the real atmosphere. In the first 6 months we have assembled a laboratory bench system to begin testing the optical and electronic components. We are also undertaking some measurements of signal and noise levels for actual sunlight reflecting from the ground. We shall present results from some of these ground based studies and discuss their implications for a space based system.

Heaps, William S.↗

A new upper limit for an atmosphere of CO2, CO on Mercury

High-resolution infrared spectra of Mercury (1.9-2.7 microns, resolution limit 0.134 wavelength/cm) obtained with the original 'Connes' interferometer at the Steward Observatory 90-inch telescope have provided a very sensitive test for the possible presence of a CO2, CO atmosphere. An improved upper limit of 0.12 cm-atm has been set for CO2, and a new upper limit of 0.05 cm-atm has been set for CO. Upper limits of similar magnitude can be established for CH4 and NH3. From the separation of the Mercury signal into reflected sunlight and thermal emission, we determine that the reflectivity decreases toward longer wavelengths and has a value of about 0.06 at 2.25 microns. Implications for the possible evolution of an atmosphere on Mercury are discussed.

Fink, U.↗

Seven Years of Observations of Mid-Tropospheric CO2 from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS Aqua Spacecraft was launched on May 4, 2002. AIRS acquires hyperspectral infrared radiances in the 3.7-15.4 um spectral region with spectral resolution of better than 1200. The AIRS was designed to measure temperature and water vapor profiles and cloud properties for improvement in weather forecast and improved parameterization of climate processes. Currently the AIRS Level 1B Radiance Products are assimilated by NWP centers and have shown considerable forecast improvement. Scientists have also demonstrated accurate retrievals of minor gases from AIRS including Carbon Monoxide, Methane, and Ozone. The excellent sensitivity and stability of the AIRS instrument has recently allowed the AIRS team to successfully retrieve Carbon Dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the mid-troposphere (8-10 km) with a horizontal resolution of 100 km and accuracy of 1-2 ppm. The AIRS retrieves over 15,000 measurements per day and can achieve full global coverage in 30 days. The AIRS CO2 accuracy has been validated against a variety of aircraft measurements in the mid-troposphere and upward looking interferometers. Findings from the AIRS data include higher than expected variability in the mid-troposphere, the presence of a belt of CO2 in the southern hemisphere, and numerous observations of atmospheric circulation including the effects of El Nino/La Nina on the CO2 concentrations in the mid-troposphere. The full mid-tropospheric AIRS CO2 data set is now available at the NASA GES/DISC for almost eight years since AIRS has been operational.

carbon dioxide↗

On the Retrieval and Analysis of Multilevel Clouds

An accurate satellite retrieval of cloud properties depends upon the detection and analysis of multilayered, overlapping cloud systems that surface observations show to be common. Multiple cloud layers are often found, for instance, in frontal situations, where cirrus overlays boundary layer convective cloud or low-to mid-level stratus cloud. Surface observers (Hahan et al., 1982) indicate that over ocean in the Northern Hemisphere between 30 deg. N and 60 deg. N, 51 percent of observations are of multilevel clouds. A satellite analysis by Coakley (1983) over the Pacific Ocean finds that more than 50 percent of 500 (250 sq km) frames exhibit evidence of multilayered cloud systems. The questions addressed in this study are the following: What error is introduced when inferring the cloud pressure from a Field-Of-View (FOV) that contains some arbitrary amount of transparent cloud overlaying a lower-level black cloud, such as stratus, by making the assumption that there is only a single cloud layer in the FOV, and what may be done to improve the cloud retrieval? The CO2 slicing methods (e.g. McCleese and Wilson, 1976; Smith and Platt, 1978; Chahine, 1974) have been shown to provide accurate means of inferring cirrus cloud altitude from passive infrared radiance measurements. The CO2 techniques have been applied to radiometric data from several instruments, notably the High Resolution Infrared Radiometric Sounder (HIRS/2, hereafter referred to as HIRS), the VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) (e.g., Menzel et al., 1983; Wylie and Menzel, 1989), and most recently to the High Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) (Smith and Frey, 1990). The methods take advantage of the fact that infrared CO2 sounding channels spaced closely in wavenumber each have varying opacity to CO2, thereby causing each channel to be sensitive to a different level in the atmosphere. The techniques have been shown to be effective for single-layered, nonblack, mid- to high-level clouds such as cirrus, but are generally applied operationally to any given cloud occurrence. The CO2 slicing algorithms are most accurate for clouds than occur in a single, well-defined layer, or for multi-layered cloud cases in which the uppermost cloud layer is nearly black. Significant cloud height retrieval errors may ensue if the HIRS Field-Of-View (FOV) is cotaminated with low cloud. McCleese and Wilson (1976) have shown that the retrieved cloud height for the case of multiple cloud layers is a weighted average of the cloud heights actually present. The weight is approximately proportional to the product of the cloud heigt and the effective cloud amount. The effect of their result is that the uppermost cloud layer dominates the cloud pressure retrieval. Beyond stating that the higher cloud dominates the cloud pressure retrieval, there is no quantitative information to provide a way of estimating the errors in cloud pressure retrieval one should expect for certain common multilevel cloud situations or any suggestions on how to reduce the errors. In this paper we estimate the magnitude of the errors and use a simple algorithm to reduce the errors in optically thin cloud height retrival.

Baum, Bryan A.↗

A Broad Bank Lidar for Precise Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption Measurement from Space

Accurate global measurement of carbon dioxide column with the aim of discovering and quantifying unknown sources and sinks has been a high priority for the last decade. In order to uncover the "missing sink" that is responsible for the large discrepancies in the budget the critical precision for a measurement from space needs to be on the order of 1 ppm. To better understand the CO2 budget and to evaluate its impact on global warming the National Research Council (NRC) in its recent decadal survey report (NACP) to NASA recommended a laser based total CO2 mapping mission in the near future. That's the goal of Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission - to significantly enhance the understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. Our current goal is to develop an ultra precise, inexpensive new lidar system for column measurements of CO2 changes in the lower atmosphere that uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer based system as the detector portion of the instrument and replaces the narrow band laser commonly used in lidars with a high power broadband source. This approach reduces the number of individual lasers used in the system and considerably reduces the risk of failure. It also tremendously reduces the requirement for wavelength stability in the source putting this responsibility instead on the Fabry- Perot subsystem.

Georgieva, E. M.↗