Abstract

A lidar system is described that is being developed for airborne water vapor measurements using the range-resolved differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique. The system employes two frequency-doubled ND:YAG lasers to pump two independently tunable, high conversion efficiency dye lasers that operate in the near infrared (IR) between 710 and 960 nm. The sequentially pumped dye lasers have linewidths less than 1.0 pm and operating wavelengths that are servo-controlled to better than 0.2 pm by means of a high resolution, wavelength calibration unit. The backscattered lidar returns at wavelengths on and off of water vapor absorption lines are collected by a 35-cm diameter telescope, detected by an IR enhanced photomultiplier tube, digitized to 10 bits, and stored on high-speed magnetic tape. Water vapor concentration profiles are calculated for each measurement in real time by a minicomputer. This paper describes the airborne DIAL system and discusses simulations of water vapor DIAL measurements. These simulations include proposed investigations of water vapor in the boundary layer and in the middle and upper troposphere. Simulations are also presented of the measurement of global water vapor vertical profiles by using a Shuttle-borne lidar system having characteristics similar to the airborne DIAL system.

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