Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Science Rendezvous > 2009 Posters
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MRI: Mobil Fe-Resonance/Rayleigh/Mie Doppler Lidar Principle, Design, and Analysise

Xinzhao Chu¹, Wentao Huang¹, Jonathan S. Friedman², Jeffrey P. Thayer¹

¹Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences & Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, 216 UCB, CIRES, Boulder, CO 80309, USA, ²NAIC Arecibo Observatory, HC-03, Box 53995, Arecibo, PR 00612, USA

Global temperature, wind, and aerosol profiling through the middle and upper atmosphere with high accuracy, precision, and resolution is crucial in atmosphere and climate study. Here we discuss the principle, design, and analysis of a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) mobile Fe-resonance/Rayleigh/Mie Doppler lidar that has compelling reasons to be attractive for these purposes. This lidar integrates the state-of-the-art technologies of lasers, laser spectroscopy, electro-optics, and sensors into a single system to produce a powerful and robust tool with unmatched capabilities. This lidar will provide simultaneous measurements of temperature (30-110 km), wind (75-110 km), Fe density (75-115 km), and aerosol (10-100 km) in both day and night with high accuracy, high precision, and high spatial and temporal resolutions. Chirp-free lidar frequency locking and saturation-free Fe layer resonance result in a bias-free estimate of wind & temperature, which is revolutionary for Doppler lidar. The resulting breakthrough in lidar technology will push the atmospheric observations to a completely new level and the mobility of the system will enable new scientific endeavors.