Title :
Architecture and design of the aquarius instrument for RF and thermal stability
Author :
McWatters, Dalia ; Freedman, Adam ; Becker, Ray ; Granger, James ; Yates, Phil ; Franklin, Brian ; Borders, James ; Yueh, Simon ; Spencer, Michael ; Price, Doug ; Fischman, Mark ; Cheetham, Craig ; Paller, Mimi ; Pellerano, Fernando ; Piepmeier, Jeff
Author_Institution :
Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA
Abstract :
In this paper, we present the architecture and design of the aquarius instrument: a spaceborne combination radiometer-scatterometer in L-band, for measuring ocean surface salinity. In order to achieve the unprecedented measurement stability of 0.1 Kelvin for the radiometer, the scatterometer (for correction of the sea surface roughness) is required to have a calibrated stability of 0.1 dB. Active and passive thermal control was utilized as well as RF self calibration. Novel test techniques were also developed to verify the stability requirement was met.
Keywords :
aerospace instrumentation; calibration; radiometers; surface roughness; L-band; RF self calibration; active thermal control; aquarius instrument; calibrated stability; ocean surface salinity measurement; passive thermal control; radiofrequency stability; sea surface roughness correction; spaceborne combination radiometer-scatterometer; thermal stability; unprecedented measurement stability; Instruments; L-band; Oceans; Radio frequency; Radiometry; Rough surfaces; Sea measurements; Sea surface; Surface roughness; Thermal stability;
Conference_Titel :
Radar Conference, 2009 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Pasadena, CA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2870-0
Electronic_ISBN :
1097-5659
DOI :
10.1109/RADAR.2009.4977043
