HR: 0800h
AN: A31B-0319    [Abstracts]
TI: Ultra-Fine-Grained Atmospheric Aerosol and Trace Gas Measurements with Future Space- based Tunable Laser LIDAR: The STARCaL Project
AU: * Albert, J
EM: jalbert@uvic.ca
AF: University of Victoria, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Elliott Bldg., 3800 Finnerty Rd., Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
AU: Deustua, S
EM: deustua@aas.org
AF: American Astronomical Society, 2000 Florida Ave., NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009, United States
AU: Burgett, W
EM: burgett@ifa.hawaii.edu
AF: Institute for Astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Dr., Honolulu, HI 96822-1897, United States
AB: We propose a tunable laser-based satellite-mounted LIDAR system for a very wide variety of applications in atmospheric and climate studies, ground- and space-based astronomical telescope calibration, as well as national defense and security. This broad range of applications is joined by a common need for beam pointability, wavelength tunability from visible through the near-infrared, and precision radiometry, and thus could be accomodated via a single satellite platform. Wavelength tunability from 300 to 2400 um is provided via well-tested optical parametric oscillator technology, and the beam is precisely sampled using an electrical substitution radiometer. Upcoming astrophysical projects investigating the recently- discovered accelerated expansion of the universe (from the so-named "dark energy") require significant improvements in both spectrophotometric and absolute flux calibration of telescopes, which this project provides. Simultaneously, STARCaL provides wavelength-tunable, pointable LIDAR data analogous to CALIPSO, with ultra- precise beam radiometry, for precision measurements of aerosols and trace gases in all parts of the atmosphere. The technology for this project is now well-tested in space and on the ground.
UR: http://www.starcal.org
DE: 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906)
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting