羊八井460GHz大气不透明度的测量

为了解羊八井观测站的亚毫米波观测条件,使用移动式亚毫米波望远镜(Portable Submillimeter Telescope,POST)测量了羊八井观测站460 GHz波段天顶方向大气不透明度.观测结果表明,羊八井观测站的460 GHz波段天顶方向大气不透明度的四分位数为1.25、1.42、1.63,观测时间段内大气不透明度τ_0≤1.0的时间比例约占3.4%.将此次观测结果与国际现有优秀亚毫米波台址比较,分析了影响亚毫米波不透明度的可能原因.     

大气492 GHz亚毫米波不透明度的测量

使用移动式亚毫米波望远镜(POST)在位于青藏高原海拔3200米的紫金山天文台德令哈射电天文观测站址测量地球大气492GHz频率处天顶方向的不透明度(τ0)的结果．在1999—2000年冬季和2000—2001年冬季的两个观测季节内累计共进行了约870个小时的测量，取得了25842组τ0的有效数据．对数据的统计表明，观测季节内τ0值主要分布在1．5—3．0之间．观测时段内大气不透明度τ0≤1．0的时间比例约占3％．在给出实测资料的基础上，将所测量的亚毫米波不透明度与国际现有亚毫米波台址的不透明度进行了初步比较．     

地面GPS观测探测大气可降水汽量的方法和前景

介绍了利用地面GPS观测探测大气可降水汽量（PWV）的基本原理和方法及其在气象学和天文定位上的应用．地面GPS测量的PWV估计的主要误差源来自天顶湿延迟的估计．为了提高天顶湿延迟的估计精度,根据大气湿分量随时间变化的特性,天顶湿延迟的估算可采用确定性参数估计和随机模型估计．采用这些方法能有效地提高GPS精密定位中高程测量的精度,且其估算的PWV的精度可达1-2mm,足以满足天气预报和气候研究的需要．简述了大气分布的非球对称性对PWV估计的影响并评述了利用地面GPS测量探测PWV的前景．     

GPS信号斜路径方向水汽含量的计算方法

利用GPS信号斜路径方向的水汽含量(SWV)探测水汽的三维分布，是目前国际上地基GPS气象学研究的前沿课题．基于此提出了一种利用无电离层影响的GPSLC非差观测组合直接计算斜路径方向水汽含量的方法．该方法每30秒钟计算一次斜路径方向的水汽含量．计算结果与水汽辐射计(WVR)的观测值比较表明，利用该方法计算斜路径方向的水汽含量可以达到毫米级的精度．把5分钟内的斜路径水汽投影到天顶方向取平均，与以5分钟间隔估计的可降水量(PWV)进行比较，结果表明二者之间的差别小于2mm．用该方法计算的GPS信号斜路径方向上的水汽含量，可以用于层析水汽的三维分布，优化数值天气预报的初始场，也可以改正GPS大地测量和雷达影像的误差。     

利用GPS数据标校水汽辐射计的方法研究

对流层是影响各类对地观测、地对空观测精度的主要因素之一.目前GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System)技术由于其时空分辨率和精度方面的优越性,成为大气延迟和水汽监测的主要手段之一.水汽辐射计WVR (Water Vapor Radiometer)是传统的大气探测手段,由于其观测原理和灵敏度等方面的特点,也有其特殊的用途. WVR在正式投入使用前必须根据各个测站的具体情况进行标校,一般采用探空数据来进行,但探空数据采样频率低、数据量小, GNSS具有相对的优势.利用分布于北京(BJMY)、上海(SHAO)、昆明(YNKM)、乌鲁木齐(URUM) 4个VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry)台站的GPS和水汽辐射计数据,开展了利用GPS数据标校WVR的方法研究,探讨了各个台站WVR的数据预处理方法,分析了影响水汽辐射计测量精度的因素.利用2015–2016年的4个并置台站的GPS和WVR观测数据,验证水汽辐射计数据的稳定性与可靠性.采用归一化处理方法,利用GPS数据对水汽辐射计进行了校准,为水汽辐射计的标校提供了一种新的思路和方法.     

上海地区地基GPS水汽三维层析技术和初步应用

地基GPS(Global Positioning System)探测大气水汽主要包括3个方面的内容:一是观测天顶方向的大气水汽总量(Precipitable Water vapor,PW);二是遥测倾斜的信号路径上的水汽总量(Slant-path Water vapor,SW);三是应用组网的GPS站倾斜路径观测反演局地上空的水汽三维信息,即水汽层析(watervapor tomography)技术.简单介绍了上海地区稠密的地基GPS网,并且在该网的基础上通过GAMIT软件计算出的整层水汽PW和各个方向上的梯度信息及观测残差,来获得GPS测定的SW,运用层析的技术可获得上海地区水汽的三维分布信息.以2008年8月25日上海罕见的大暴雨为例,分析了水汽三维结果在强对流天气中的应用.     

低地平高度日食射电观测的特殊问题

为了解决1980年低地平高度的日食射电观测所提出的一些特殊问题:大气吸收扣除和大气折射改正。本文讨论了一种近似模拟大气质量函数的公式,找出了“大气等效厚度”的最佳值;并对云南天文台所在的凤凰山地区的天顶方向总吸收Γ_0值做了近似估计和实测(3.2cm波段)。考虑了低地平高度的大气折射计算公式和日食射电观测所需的大气折射改正的计算步骤。     

八毫米波段太阳射电望远镜

为了观测八毫米波段太阳辐射及测量该波段的大气吸收,我们研制了一台射电望远镜,辐射计中心频率为35GHz.用抛物面天线作相对测量,用最佳角锥喇叭天线作绝对测量,以室温和低温黑体作噪声标准.     

第十届国际天文奥赛实测试题

低年组和高年组1.大气折射.天顶距(Z)的定义是从天体到观测者的天顶的角距离(在天顶时 Z=0°,在地平时 Z=90°)。大气折射效应会使天顶距的测量值(Zm)与实际的天顶距(Zt)相比有所减小,减小的值为 R(以角秒为单位)。下表可以用于海平面处温度为10℃时的观测。对于小于某个值 ZF 的天顶距Zm,一个近     

利用差分光吸收法进行平流层二氧化氮的地面观测(英文)

太阳活动对中层大气物理、化学过程影响的研究是日地物理的重要部分。在平流层中,大气二氧化氮直接控制着臭氧的平衡。对20—40Km高度区,导致的奇氧成分的损耗占总损耗的60—70％。在可见光波段,二氧化氮有明显的吸收带结构,可用于大气光谱学方法测量其含量。 本文给出测量仪器的基本特性。该仪器是一个微机自动控制和数据采集的分光计系统,16秒内扫描436.5—451.5nm波段。信噪比大于3000。该仪器也可同时测量大气臭氧,适当改进还可作大气氯化物以及三氧化氮的观测。 影响二氧化氮资料观测分析的主要是太阳的方和斐线。它使观测曲线上无法直接辨认出二氧化氮吸收的带状结构。这里利用60°太阳天顶角的观测光谱作为基准值,其他太阳天顶角的观测资料与其比较给出比值光谱。此光谱除二氧化氮吸收的带结构外,还包含分子和气溶散射的影响。由于所测波长范围狭窄,假定其随波长线性变化不会引起明显误差,这样可由差分吸收给出倾斜路径中二氧化氮的含量。 分析测量误差指出,主要来源是相对波长位移,包括计算比值光谱时两观测曲线间的系统波长偏差和随机波长位移。利用使比值光谱波动最小的方法可把前者减小到0.02nm以下。试验指出,随机波长位移不大于0.03nm,引起的测量误差约为0.3％,相应于二氧化氮含量的反演误     

Measurements of 460 GHz Atmospheric Opacity at Yangbajing Observational Station†

In order to assess the submillimeter wave observational conditions of Yangbajin, a Portable Submillimeter Telescope (POST) is used to measure the zenith atmospheric opacity at 460 GHz from November 2008 to December 2008. The results show that the quartiles of atmospheric opacity during the observing time at 460 GHz at Yangbajin Observatory is 1.25, 1.42 and 1.63, and the time proportion of atmospheric opacity less than 1 is about 3.4%. At last, the submillimeter wave site conditions of Yangbajin with those of other submillimeter observatories in the world are compared, and the possible causes that may influence the submillimeter atmospheric opacity are explored.     

Characterization of the atmosphere above a site for millimeter wave astronomy

The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is a challeging scientific project managed by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), it is being developed at 30 km North of the city of Cagliari, Italy. The goal of the SRT project is to build a general purpose, fully steerable, 64 m diameter radio telescope, capable of operating with high efficiency in the centimeter and millimeter frequency range (0.3–100 GHz). In portions of this frequency range, especially towards the high end, astronomical observations can be heavily deteriorated by non-optimal atmospheric conditions, especially by water vapor content. The water molecule permanent electric dipole in fact, leads to pressure broadened rotational transitions around the 22.23 GHz spectral line. Furthermore, water vapor’s continuum absorption and emission may influence higher frequency observations too. To a lower degree, cloud liquid black body radiation can also affect centimeter and millimeter observations. In addition to this, inhomogeneities in water vapor distributions can cause signal phase errors which introduce a great amount of uncertainty to VLBI mode observations. The Astronomical Observatory of Cagliari (OA-CA) has obtained historical timeseries of radiosonde profiles conducted at the airport of Cagliari. Through the radiosonde measurements and an appropriate radiative transfer model, we have performed a statistical analysis of the SRT site’s atmosphere which accounts for atmospheric opacity at different frequencies, integrated water vapor (IWV), integrated liquid water (ILW) and cloud cover distributions during the year. This will help to investigate in which period of the year astronomical observations at different frequencies should be performed preferably. The results show that, at the SRT site, K-band astronomical observations are possible all year round, the median opacity at 22.23 GHz is 0.10 Np in the winter (Dec-Jan-Feb) and 0.16 Np in the summer (Jun-Jul-Aug). Integrated water vapor during winter months ranges, on average, between 7 and 15 mm. Cloud cover is usually not present for more than 36% of the time during the year. The atmospheric opacity study indicates that observations at higher frequencies (50–100 GHz) may be performed usefully: the median opacity at 100 GHz is usually below or equal to 0.2 Np in the period that ranges from January to April.     

Mars atmospheric water vapor abundance: 1991-1999, emphasis 1998-1999

Our ground-based measurements of martian atmospheric water vapor, made throughout Ls=34° to 249°, 24 September 1998 to 23 November 1999, during Mars year 24 (MY 24), show changes in Mars' humidity on hourly, daily, and seasonal timescales. We made concomitant measurement of nearby CO₂ bands, and when possible, results were corrected for aerosol extinction using aerosol optical depths derived from our own CO₂ analysis. Where there is spatial and temporal overlap, similar results are obtained for water vapor abundances and aerosol opacities as those observed from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer on Mars Global Surveyor. In addition some further discussion of our published earlier water vapor measurements (1991-1995) is included. Six results from this data set are: (1) the measured aerosol opacity in Mars atmosphere was variable but not greater than τ=1, with almost no clear atmosphere being observed, (2) measurements made with the slit crossing many hours of local time on Mars' Earth-facing disk show a diurnal pattern with highest abundances at mid-day and low abundance in very early morning and late afternoon for some but not all measurements, (3) water vapor abundance is patchy on hourly and daily time scales but follows the usual seasonal trends seen by instrumentation on the Mars Atmospheric Water Detector on the Viking Orbiters and by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer on Mars Global Surveyor, (4) there is a slight longitudinal correlation with the ground-ice observed by the Gamma Ray Spectrometer on Mars Odyssey, (5) there is evidence of the Low Southern Latitude Summer Minimum in our water vapor measurements but our data set for southern summer is limited, and (6) MY 24 appears to be wetter than MY 22 and MY 23.     

Sulfuric acid vapor and other cloud-related gases in the Venus atmosphere: Abundances inferred from observed radio opacity

Laboratory measurements of the microwave opacity of gaseous sulfuric acid under Venus atmospheric conditions indicate that it is an exceptionally strong absorber. They also suggest that its absorptivity has a surprisingly weak dependence on radio frequency, as compared with other common gaseous absorbers. Initial theoretical studies also indicate a large absorptivity and weak frequency dependence, although the measured opacity is several times the computed value, presumably due to deviations from Van Vleck-Weisskopf theory for pressures near and above about 1 atm. The absorbing characteristics of sulfuric acid vapor appear to reconcile what had been thought to be an inconsistency among measurements and deductions concerning the constituents of the atmosphere of Venus, and radio occultation, radar reflection, and radio emission measurements of its opacity. These and previous laboratory measurements of sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and carbon dioxide are used to model relative contributions to opacity as a function of height, in a way that is consistent with observations of the constituents and absorbing properties of the atmosphere. We conclude that sulfuric acid vapor is likely to be the principal microwave absorber in the 30- to 50-km-altitude range of the middle atmosphere of Venus. It would need to have a mixing ratio there of about 35 to 90 ppm if it were the sole absorber. Carbon dioxide, the predominant atmospheric gas, is the main absorber below about 30 km, while sulfur dioxide is an important but secondary absorber in both regions. Water vapor and cloud particulates appear to be only minor contributors to the total opacity. While gaseous sulfuric acid has not been directly measured in any of the in situ probe experiments (due to particular instrumental limitations), its presence at an abundance of the deduced order of magnitude is implied by these and other observations. We suggest that improved radio occultation measurements, in conjuction with high-resolution microwave emission observations and more detailed laboratory studies, could provide important data for investigating the sulfur compound chemistry in the atmosphere of Venus, and that the techniques and results may have application to the study of atmospheric conditions associated with acid rain on Earth.     

In search of water vapor on Jupiter: Laboratory measurements of the microwave properties of water vapor under simulated jovian conditions

Detection and measurement of atmospheric water vapor in the deep jovian atmosphere using microwave radiometry has been discussed extensively by Janssen et al. (Janssen, M.A., Hofstadter, M.D., Gulkis, S., Ingersoll, A.P., Allison, M., Bolton, S.J., Levin, S.M., Kamp, L.W. [2005]. Icarus 173 (2), 447-453.) and de Pater et al. (de Pater, I., Deboer, D., Marley, M., Freedman, R., Young, R. [2005]. Icarus 173 (2), 425-447). The NASA Juno mission will include a six-channel microwave radiometer system (MWR) operating in the 1.3-50 cm wavelength range in order to retrieve water vapor abundances from the microwave signature of Jupiter (see, e.g., Matousek, S. [2005]. The Juno new frontiers mission. Tech. Rep. IAC-05-A3.2.A.04, California Institute of Technology). In order to accurately interpret data from such observations, nearly 2000 laboratory measurements of the microwave opacity of H₂O vapor in a H₂/He atmosphere have been conducted in the 5-21 cm wavelength range (1.4-6 GHz) at pressures from 30 mbars to 101 bars and at temperatures from 330 to 525 K. The mole fraction of H₂O (at maximum pressure) ranged from 0.19% to 3.6% with some additional measurements of pure H₂O. These results have enabled development of the first model for the opacity of gaseous H₂O in a H₂/He atmosphere under jovian conditions developed from actual laboratory data. The new model is based on a terrestrial model of Rosenkranz et al. (Rosenkranz, P.W. [1998]. Radio Science 33, 919-928), with substantial modifications to reflect the effects of jovian conditions. The new model for water vapor opacity dramatically outperforms previous models and will provide reliable results for temperatures from 300 to 525 K, at pressures up to 100 bars and at frequencies up to 6 GHz. These results will significantly reduce the uncertainties in the retrieval of jovian atmospheric water vapor abundances from the microwave radiometric measurements from the upcoming NASA Juno mission, as well as provide a clearer understanding of the role deep atmospheric water vapor may play in the decimeter-wavelength spectrum of Saturn.     

Effect of atmospheric dust loading on martian albedo measurements

This work is devoted to the analysis of the variation of albedo measured by orbiting instruments with atmospheric opacity on Mars. The study has been conduced by analysing Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS-TES) data from martian regions with different surface albedo.In support of these data, synthetic spectra with different surface albedo and atmospheric opacities have been computed, so that a comparison has been performed. The synthetic spectra have been retrieved by using two different grain sizes for suspended dust (0.5 and 1.2 μm), allowing a comparison between the two models and the observations.Using the DCI, a parameter describing the quantity of dust deposited on the surface, the effectiveness of the single scattering approximation has been tested for low atmospheric opacity by analysing the quality of the linear fit up to different atmospheric opacity.For more opaque conditions two kinds of fits have been applied to the data, linear and second-order degree polynomial. In this case, we found that the polynomial fit better describes the observations.The analysis of these data made it possible to notice a peculiar trend, already reported by Christensen (1988), of the albedo over Syrtis Major after the occurrence of dust storms, but, differently from that work, now the study of DCI together with atmospheric opacity and albedo allowed us to robustly confirm the hypothesis made by Christensen.Finally, the comparison between observations and synthetic spectra computed with models with different particles grain sizes indicates that dust particles of 0.5 μm diameter are the most effective to change the aerosol atmospheric opacity on Mars.     

The opacity of some local Martian dust storms observed by the Viking IRTM

In this paper we analyze some Viking infrared thermal mapping (IRTM) measurements of local Martian dust storms observed in the southern tropical region of the planet between L_s=225 and 262°. The derived opacities of these storms show that in the most opaque regions of the cloud, the optical thickness may be ≈6. Away from the individual clouds, the opacity is ≈2, which is still about four times the background level of dustiness in the Martian atmosphere. We find considerable structure in the derived opacity which will create corresponding variations in the atmospheric heating, which in turn may have an important feedback upon the local winds.     

New calculations of interstellar dust (ID) contraction in a non-isothermal regime

We have calculated the opacity as resulting from different interstellar grain models, molecules, atoms, and ions. The resulting opacities have been applied to a numerical code used to follow the thermal evolution of a contracting cloud in one dimension. An exact analytical and computational developments of both Mie theory for isolated grains and Güttler's formulae for composite grain models have been used to calculate the extinction coefficients. We have studied two models of composite grain and three models of isolated grain. The opacity of interstellar grains has been calculated in the temperature range 10–1500 K. The molecular opacity is splitted into continuous and line opacities. The different sources of continuous opacity have been studied. The line opacity has also been included. The atomic opacities are also considered. The hydrodynamical equations are solved explicitly but the energy and Poisson equations are solved implicitly.It has been found that the thermal evolution during contraction of protostellar clouds is sensitive to both: the assumed grain models and the considered chemical composition. A cloud of an initial temperature of 10 K collapsed to a stage in which the temperature increases to 91 000 K and the density reached to 0.16 g cm^–3.