Heterodyne spectrometer for remote sensing of the atmospheric ozone

MM wave ground-based research on atmospheric ozone and its anomalies is one of the most important aspects of remote sensing of the atmosphere. Measurements of pressure-broadened rotational spectra of ozone allow to retrieve the vertical ozone distribution (VOD) for altitudes 15 to 75 km. Heterodyne receivers based on low-noise Schottky diode mixers were used almost in all instruments for remote sensing of ozone at MM waves. A receiver with a planar diode mixer was chosen for the new Lebedev Physical Institute heterodyne spectrometer which is being used for ground-based measurements of the 142.2 GHz ozone line in Moscow since November 1994. Various characteristics are described