Design Aspects of a Millimeter Wave Scintillometer for Flux Measurements

Abstract

The design aspects of a millimeter wave scintillometer system are described in detail. The dual amplitude channel receiver technique helps to eliminate errors common to both channels, mainly the atmospheric absorption effect. Several features to make the system mechanically stable and weather proof, such as double insulation to the receiver and transmitter components, are Included. Experimental results showed that this system is reliable. This system, together with two other scintillometers at different wavelengths, can be used for measuring heat, humidity, and momentum fluxes.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A D Sarma

A D Sarma, was born in Atchanta (AP) in 1953. He received his MSc(Tech) degree in Applied Physics from Andhra University in 1977 and PhD degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from London University in 1986. Between 1977 and 1982 he was associated with DEAL (Dehradun), Electrical Eng Dept of IIT, New Delhi, and DLRL, Hyderabad. Between 1986 and 1991 he was associated with the Telecommunications Division of Electrical Eng Dept of Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands and Wave Propagation laboratory, of NOAA, Boulder (USA).

Presently he is working as principal scientist at Research and Training Unit for Navigational Electronics, Osmania University Hyderabad. He has several publications to his credit both in national and international journals. His interests include radio wave propagation, microwave and millimeter wave systems, modelling of antenna radiation patterns using GTD, and GPS. He is a member of IE, IETE, IGU and AGU (USA).

R J Hill

Reginald J Hill, received the BA degree in Physics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1970, and the MS and PhD degrees in Physics from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1972 and 1977. Since 1976 he has been working at the Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL), which was named the Wave Propagation Laboratory until 1993. He joined the laboratory in 1976 as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate and became a federal government physicist in 1978. He was Chief of the Propagation Studies Program Area from 1986 to 1992, and has been a Senior Scientist of ETL since 1992.

Dr Hill is a fellow of the Optical Society of America. In that society, he has served as chair of the Atmospheric Optics Technical Group, as chair of the Optical Sciences Division, and as Topical Editor of Applied Optics. He is member of the International Union of Radio Science.

Dr. Hill has published in a variety of research areas, producing 60 papers in refereed journals and two book chapters. His topics of research include the dynamics and photochemistry of the lower ionosphere, fluctuations of advected quantities in turbulence, basic turbulence theory, micrometeorology, refractive indices and absorption coefficients of atmospheric gases, scintillation of electromagnetic and acoustic waves, and applications of scintillation and radar scattering to remote sensing.