National Science Foundation & Air Force Office of Scientific Research The Maui/MALT Program: Probing the Atmosphere to the Edge of Space
Middle & upper atmosphere ( km) most easily studied using Remote sensing techniques: lidar, radar, & airglow sensors Airglow & Meteoric Metal Layers Ozone Layer
Gravity waves excited in troposphere have profound Effect on middle atmosphere circulation & temperature Tides generated by solar absorption by water vapor & ozone Have large amplitudes in middle atmosphere Trace gases transported from troposphere & meteor deposition Impact middle atmosphere chemistry & long term temperatures
OH airglow results from reaction of atomic oxygen and hydrogen Carries signature of Wave perturbations H + O 3 OH * + O 2 O * and O 2 * emissions Also observed
150 K 200 K 250 K fafa f-f- f+f+ fcfc fbfb f-f- f+f+ 150 K 200 K 250 K Na D 2 Backscatter Cross Section f+f+ fafa f-f-
f-f- f+f+ fafa f-f- Na D 2 Line Backscatter Cross Section 0 m/s 50 m/s 100 m/s fafa f-f- f+f+
CW Frequency-Doubled Nd:YVO 4 Laser 532 nm 4 W CW Ring Dye Laser 589 nm 0.5 W Na Vapor Cell Wavemeter Photo Detector Acoustic-Optic Frequency Shifter 630 MHz Optical Isolator Pulsed Dye Amplifier Pulsed Frequency-Doubled Nd:YAG Laser CW Injection Seeder Laser Pulsed 589 nm 1.5 W 1064 nm 5 mW 532 nm 15 W Na Wind/Temperature LIDAR
Lidar- Light Detection & Ranging Accuracy depends on photon count N P = laser power A = telescope area N~10 5 for 1 K & 1 m/s AEOS = 10.6 m 2
1998 Leonids Starfire Optical Range
1998 Leonids Starfire Optical Range
Na density profile of meteor trail shows evidence of wall structure Temperature of walls distinctly warmer where airglow brightest Evidence of chemical heating associated with excited OH, & O 2 z = 24 m t = 10 s z = 24 m t = 10 s
Red = N 2 <0=Unstable
TOMEX
Rocket Launch - White Sands MR TOMEX NASA Lidar Winds
South Pole Lidar/Balloon Data MSIS-2000 Model
Maui/MALT * Investigators Airglow Imagery & Spectroscopy Mike Taylor, Utah State U Gary Swenson, U Illinois Mike Kelley, Cornell U Jim Hecht, Aerospace Corp Meteor Radar Steve Franke, U Illinois Wayne Hocking, U Western Ontario Na Wind/Temperature Lidar Chet Gardner, George Papen, Xinzhao Chu, U Illinois Rayleigh Temperature Lidar Tim Kane, Penn State U John Meriwether, Clemson U * 2 Year program funded jointly by NSF & AFOSR
Barking Sands Rocket Range AMOS Mauna Loa
Maui/MALT Na Lidar First Light 09 Jan 02
Scientific Research Goals Develop instrument capabilities to measure atmospheric Temperature and winds from surface to edge of space (110 km) Characterize generation, propagation, and dissipation of gravity waves From troposphere through mesosphere Develop models for predicting winds & temperature at all levels (flight ops) Determine relationship between breaking gravity waves, tides, And clear air turbulence (imaging, flight ops, directed energy weapons) Determine influence of waves and tides on structure and brightness Of infrared airglow layers (surveillance, imaging, missile defense) Characterize and model diurnal and seasonal variations of Na layer (laser guided adaptive imaging, surveillance, directed energy weapons) Research Goals Related to Air Force Needs