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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

High Frequency PIN-Diode Switches for Radiometer Applications

Internally calibrated radiometers are needed for ocean topography and other missions. Typically internal calibration is achieved with Dicke switching as one of the techniques. We have developed high frequency single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switches in the form of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) that can be easily integrated into Dicke switched radiometers that utilize microstrip technology. In particular, the switches we developed can be used for a radiometer such as the one proposed for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Satellite Mission whose three channels at 92, 130, and 166 GHz would allow for wet-tropospheric path delay correction near coastal zones and over land. This feat is not possible with the current Jason-class radiometers due to their lower frequency signal measurement and thus lower resolution. The MMIC chips were fabricated at NGST using their InP PIN diode process and measured at JPL using high frequency test equipment. Measurement and simulation results will be presented.

PIN-diode↗
NASA NTRS1977

Pioneer-Venus large probe infrared radiometer /LIR/ optical system

The LIR (large probe infrared radiometer) instrument has been developed for the NASA Ames Research Center for use in the 1978 Venus Atmospheric Probe Mission. The mission objectives are to determine the nature and composition of the clouds, the composition and structure of the atmosphere, and the atmospheric circulation pattern of the planet Venus. The LIR is a six-channel (3-50 micron) internally calibrated radiometer which measures the radiance difference at plus or minus 45 deg to the horizontal as viewed through a single diamond window in the spacecraft. The LIR optical system consists of a unique arrangement of hollow light pipes which optically couple a six element detector/filter array to the spacecraft window while mechanically and thermally isolating the array from the window's harsh thermal environment. A single rotating section with a 45 deg bend and containing a collimator alternately views up and down through director/extender pipes located adjacent to the diamond window. Light is transferred from the rotating section to a fixed section containing a diamond diffuser to scramble the light. This minimizes asymmetries and improves channel field of view overlap.

Brown, F. G.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Low Noise Amplifier Receivers from Millimeter Wave Atmospheric Remote Sensing

We currently achieve 3.4 dB noise figure at 183GHz and 2.1 dB noise figure at 90 GHz with our MMIC low noise amplifiers (LNAs) in room temperature. These amplifiers and the receivers we have built using them made it possible to conduct highly accurate airborne measurement campaigns from the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, develop millimeter wave internally calibrated radiometers for altimeter radar path delay correction, and build prototypes of large arrays of millimeter receivers for a geostationary interferometric sounder. We use the developed millimeter wave receivers to measure temperature and humidity profiles in the atmosphere and in hurricanes as well as to characterize the path delay error in ocean topography altimetry.

millimeter wave radiometers↗
NASA NTRS2012

Low Noise Amplifiers and Receivers for Remote Sensing

The study of atmospheric dynamics and climatology depend on accurate and frequent measurements of temperature and humidity profiles of the atmosphere. These measurements furthermore enable highly accurate measurements of ocean topography by providing total column water vapour data for radar path delay correction. The atmospheric temperature profile is characterized at the oxygen molecule absorption frequencies (60 and 118 GHz) and the humidity profile at the water molecule absorption frequencies (23 and 183 GHz). Total column measurements can be achieved by comparing measured radiometric temperatures at atmospheric window channels, such as 90, 130, and 166 GHz. The standard receiver technology for these frequencies was diode mixers with MMIC LNAs being applied at the lower frequencies. The sensitivity of millimeter wave receivers improved significantly with the introduction of the low noise 35 nm gate length InP MMIC amplifiers. We currently achieve 3 dB noise figure at 180 GHz and 2 dB noise figure at 90 GHz with our MMIC low noise amplifiers (LNAs) in room temperature. These amplifiers and the receivers we have built using them made it possible to conduct highly accurate airborne measurements campaigns from the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, develop millimeter wave internally calibrated radiometers for altimeter radar path delay correction, and build prototypes of large arrays of millimeter receivers for a geostationary interferometric sounder. We use the developed millimeter wave receivers to measure temperature and humidity profiles in the atmosphere and in hurricanes as well as to characterize the path delay error in ocean topography alitmetery.

low noise temperature↗
NASA NTRS2011

Low Noise Amplifiers and Receivers for Remote Sensing

The study of atmospheric dynamics and climatology depend on accurate and frequent measurements of temperature and humidity profiles of the atmosphere. These measurements furthermore enable highly accurate measurements of ocean topography by providing total column water vapour data for radar path delay correction. The atmospheric temperature profile is characterised at the oxygen molecule absorption frequencies (60 and 118 GHz) and the humidity profile at the water molecule absorption frequencies (23 and 183 GHz). Total column measurements can be achieved by comparing measured radiometric temperatures at atmospheric window channels, such as 90, 130 and 166 GHz. The standard receiver technology for these frequencies was diode mixers with MMIC LNAs being applied at the lower frequencies. The sensitivity of millimetre wave receivers improved significantly with the introduction of the low noise 35 nm gate length InP MMIC amplifiers. We currently achieve 3 dB noise figure at 180 GHz and 2 dB noise figure at 90 GHz with our MMIC low noise amplifiers (LNAs) in room temperature. These amplifiers and the receivers we have built using them made it possible to conduct highly accurate airborne measurement campaigns from the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, develop millimeter wave internally calibrated radiometers for altimeter radar path delay correction, and build prototypes of large arrays of millimeter receivers for a geostationary interferometric sounder. We use the developed millimeter wave receivers to measure temperature and humidity profiles in the atmosphere and in hurricanes as well as to characterize the path delay error in ocean topography altimetry.

low noise amplifier↗
NASA NTRS2019

Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) L-Band Microwave Radiometer Post-Launch Calibration Upgrade

The Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) microwave radiometer is a fully polarimetric L-band radiometer flown on theSMAP satellite in a 6 AM/6 PM sun-synchronous orbit at 685 km altitude. After the SMAP L1B_TB data product version 3 was released in 2016, the radiometer has been undergoing further calibration and validation with the goal of reducing both the bias in the cold-sky measurements and calibration drift in the global ocean measurements experienced during eclipse seasons in data product version 3. The post-launch calibration algorithm has been upgraded by using new estimates of the reflector emissivity as well as using multiple scenes to calibrate the radiometer internal reference sources and antenna gain simultaneously. In addition, a correction offset is applied to the ocean roughness model for horizontal polarization based on nadir observations. Test and validation results show that the goal is achieved (e.g., biases are removed and the calibration stability achieved for data release version 4 is 0.1 K(rms) over both the global ocean and CS).

Calibratio↗
NASA NTRS2010

Radiometer Testbed Development for SWOT

Conventional altimeters include nadir looking colocated 18-37 GHz microwave radiometer to measure wet tropospheric path delay. These have reduced accuracy in coastal zone (within ~50 km from land) and do not provide wet path delay over land. The addition of high frequency channels to Jason-class radiometer will improve retrievals in coastal regions and enable retrievals over land. High-frequency window channels, 90, 130 and 166 GHz are optimum for improving performance in coastal region and channels on 183 GHz water vapor line are ideal for over-land retrievals.

internally calibrated radiometer↗
NASA NTRS2009

Technique for Radiometer and Antenna Array Calibration with a Radiated Noise Diode

This paper presents a new technique to calibrate a microwave radiometer and antenna array system. This calibration technique uses a radiated noise source in addition to two calibration sources internal to the radiometer. The method accurately calibrates antenna arrays with embedded active devices (such as amplifiers) which are used extensively in active phased array antennas.

Srinivasan, Karthik↗
NASA NTRS2019

SI-Traceable Calibration of Satellite Microwave Radiometers

Background (what): SI (International System of Units)-traceable Microwave Radiometer calibration; Motivation (why): NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction), FCDR (Fundamental Climate Data Record); Technology (how): NIST (National Inst. of Standards and Technology) blackbody target for ; Standards: Status & Future Plans. Development of a National Standard for Microwave Brightness Temperature (TB) at NIST.

MW Radiometer TB Calibration↗
NASA NTRS1988

Absolute photometric calibration of detectors to 0.3 mmag using amplitude-stabilized lasers and a helium-cooled absolute radiometer

Laser sources whose intensity is determined with a cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer are described. Detectors are then calibrated against this known flux, with an overall error of 0.028 percent (0.3 mmag). Ongoing research has produced laser intensity stabilizers with flicker and drift of less than 0.01 percent. Recently, the useful wavelength limit of these stabilizers have been extended to 1.65 microns by using a new modular technology and InGaAs detector systems. Data from Si photodiode calibration using the method of Zalewski and Geist are compared against an absolute cavity radiometer calibration as an internal check on the calibration system.

Miller, Peter J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Three-Frequency Feed for Millimeter-Wave Radiometry

A three-frequency millimeter-wave feed horn was developed as part of an advanced component technology task that provides components necessary for higher-frequency radiometers to meet the needs of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission. The primary objectives of SWOT are to characterize ocean sub-mesoscale processes on 10-km and larger scales in the global oceans, and to measure the global water storage in inland surface water bodies, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. In this innovation, the feed provides three separate output ports in the 87-to- 97-GHz, 125-to-135-GHz, and 161-to-183- GHz bands; WR10 for the 90-GHz channel, WR8 for the 130-GHz channel, and WR5 for the 170-GHz channel. These ports are in turn connected to individual radiometer channels that will also demonstrate component technology including new PIN-diode switches and noise diodes for internal calibration integrated into each radiometer front end. For this application, a prime focus feed is required with an edge taper of approximately 20 dB at an illumination angle of 40 deg. A single polarization is provided in each band. Preliminary requirements called for a return loss of better than 15 dB, which is achieved across all three bands. Good pattern symmetry is also obtained throughout all three-frequency bands. This three-frequency broadband millimeter-wave feed also minimizes mass and provides a common focal point for all three millimeter-wave bands.

Hoppe, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Design and Development of the SMAP Microwave Radiometer Electronics

The SMAP microwave radiometer will measure land surface brightness temperature at L-band (1413 MHz) in the presence of radio frequency interference (RFI) for soil moisture remote sensing. The radiometer design was driven by the requirements to incorporate internal calibration, to operate synchronously with the SMAP radar, and to mitigate the deleterious effects of RFI. The system design includes a highly linear super-heterodyne microwave receiver with internal reference loads and noise sources for calibration and an innovative digital signal processor and detection system. The front-end comprises a coaxial cable-based feed network, with a pair of diplexers and a coupled noise source, and radiometer front-end (RFE) box. Internal calibration is provided by reference switches and a common noise source inside the RFE. The RF back-end (RBE) downconverts the 1413 MHz channel to an intermediate frequency (IF) of 120 MHz. The IF signals are then sampled and quantized by high-speed analog-to-digital converters in the radiometer digital electronics (RDE) box. The RBE local oscillator and RDE sampling clocks are phase-locked to a common reference to ensure coherency between the signals. The RDE performs additional filtering, sub-band channelization, cross-correlation for measuring third and fourth Stokes parameters, and detection and integration of the first four raw moments of the signals. These data are packetized and sent to the ground for calibration and further processing. Here we discuss the novel features of the radiometer hardware particularly those influenced by the need to mitigate RFI.

radio frequency interference↗
NASA NTRS1994

Conceptual radiometer design studies for Earth observations from low Earth orbit

A conceptual radiometer design study was performed to determine the optimum design approach for spaceborne radiometers in low Earth orbit. Radiometric system configurations which included total power radiometers, unbalanced Dicke radiometers, and balanced Dicke, or as known as noise injection, radiometers were studied. Radiometer receiver configurations which were analyzed included the direct detection radiometer receiver, the double sideband homodyne radiometer receiver, and the single sideband heterodyne radiometer receiver. Radiometer system performance was also studied. This included radiometric sensitivity analysis of the three different radiometer system configurations studied. Both external and internal calibration techniques were analyzed. An accuracy analysis with and without mismatch losses was performed. It was determined that the balanced Dicke radiometer system configuration with direct detection receivers and external calibrations was optimum where frequent calibration such as once per minute were not feasible.

Harrington, Richard F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An evaluation of water vapor radiometer data for calibration of the wet path delay in very long baseline interferometry experiments

The internal consistency of the baseline-length measurements derived from analysis of several independent VLBI experiments is an estimate of the measurement precision. The paper investigates whether the inclusion of water vapor radiometer (WVR) data as an absolute calibration of the propagation delay due to water vapor improves the precision of VLBI baseline-length measurements. The paper analyzes 28 International Radio Interferometric Surveying runs between June 1988 and January 1989; WVR measurements were made during each session. The addition of WVR data decreased the scatter of the length measurements of the baselines by 5-10 percent. The observed reduction in the scatter of the baseline lengths is less than what is expected from the behavior of the formal errors, which suggest that the baseline-length measurement precision should improve 10-20 percent if WVR data are included in the analysis. The discrepancy between the formal errors and the baseline-length results can be explained as the consequence of systematic errors in the dry-mapping function parameters, instrumental biases in the WVR and the barometer, or both.

Kuehn, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS2007

On the Long-Term Stability of Microwave Radiometers Using Noise Diodes for Calibration

Results are presented from the long-term monitoring and calibration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jason Microwave Radiometer (JMR) on the Jason-1 ocean altimetry satellite and the ground-based Advanced Water Vapor Radiometers (AWVRs) developed for the Cassini Gravity Wave Experiment. Both radiometers retrieve the wet tropospheric path delay (PD) of the atmosphere and use internal noise diodes (NDs) for gain calibration. The JMR is the first radiometer to be flown in space that uses NDs for calibration. External calibration techniques are used to derive a time series of ND brightness for both instruments that is greater than four years. For the JMR, an optimal estimator is used to find the set of calibration coefficients that minimize the root-mean-square difference between the JMR brightness temperatures and the on-Earth hot and cold references. For the AWVR, continuous tip curves are used to derive the ND brightness. For the JMR and AWVR, both of which contain three redundant NDs per channel, it was observed that some NDs were very stable, whereas others experienced jumps and drifts in their effective brightness. Over the four-year time period, the ND stability ranged from 0.2% to 3% among the diodes for both instruments. The presented recalibration methodology demonstrates that long-term calibration stability can be achieved with frequent recalibration of the diodes using external calibration techniques. The JMR PD drift compared to ground truth over the four years since the launch was reduced from 3.9 to - 0.01 mm/year with the recalibrated ND time series. The JMR brightness temperature calibration stability is estimated to be 0.25 K over ten days.

noise diode (ND)↗
DOE OSTI2024

NREL Pyrheliometer Comparisons: September 21-27, 2024 (NPC-2024)

Accurate measurements of direct normal (beam) solar irradiance from pyrheliometers are important for developing and deploying solar energy conversion systems, for improving our understanding of Earth's energy budget for climate change studies, and for other science and technology applications involving solar flux. Providing these measurements places many demands on the quality system used by the operator of commercially available radiometers. Maintaining accurate radiometer calibrations that are traceable to an international standard is the first step in producing research-quality solar irradiance measurements.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2021

Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) L-band Microwave Radiometer Post-Launch Calibration Revisit: Approach and Performance

The SMAP microwave radiometer is a fully-polarimetric L-band radiometer flown on the SMAP satellite in a 6 AM / 6 PM sun-synchronous orbit at 685-km altitude. After the SMAP L1B_TB data product version4was released in 2018, the radiometer has undergonefurther calibration and validation. The goal isto reducethe difference between antenna temperature (TA) ofascending and descending orbits during the eclipse, andto reduce the dips in the calibration drift over the Cold Sky (CS) during the eclipse seasons in 2017 and 2018. The post-launch calibration algorithmhas been revisitedby retrieving all of the calibration parameters simultaneouslywith two different options for thehot calibration source(theglobal ocean, or the radiometer internal reference load). The performance of the two options are compared here. Theoption with the radiometer internal reference load has been chosen by the SMAP science team for data release version 5. In addition, a correction offset is applied to the input signal to account for offsets during the early-mission stages with theSMAP SAR transmitter operating alongside the radiometer.

Jinzheng Peng↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lessons Learned from SMAP Radiometer Pre-/Post-launch Calibration

The Soil Moisture Active Passive(SMAP) mission was launched on 31stJanuary 2015 in a 6 AM/ 6 PM sun-synchronous orbit at 685 km altitude to measure soil moisture and free/thaw globally [1]. The passive instrument of SMAP is a fully polarimetric L-band radiometer (1.4GHz) operating with a bandwidth of 24MHz. The radiometer uses a combination of noise-diodes and Dicke-loads for internal calibration with a design similar to that used by the Aquarius or Jason series radiometers[2,3].Pre-launch calibration activities had been performed since 2012on the engineering model of the radiometer. Post-launch calibration activities have been performed to fine-tune and validate the results from the pre-launch calibration. The major calibration activities and lessons learned in the past 8 years will be described in the following sections.

Jinzheng Peng↗