The cloud imaging and particle size experiment on the Aeronomy of Ice in the mesosphere mission: Instrument concept, design, calibration, and on-orbit performance

Abstract

The Cloud Imaging and Particle Size Experiment (CIPS) is one of three instruments aboard the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere spacecraft. CIPS provides panoramic ultraviolet images of the atmosphere over a wide range of scattering angles in order to determine the presence of polar mesospheric clouds, measure their spatial morphology, and constrain the parameters of cloud particle size distribution. The AIM science objectives motivate the CIPS measurement approach and drive the instrument requirements and design, leading to a configuration of four wide-angle cameras arrayed in a ‘+’ arrangement that covers a 120° (along orbit track)×80° (across orbit track) field of view. CIPS began routine operations on May 24, 4 weeks after AIM was launched. It measures scattered radiances from PMCs near 83 km altitude to derive cloud morphology and particle size information by recording multiple exposures of individual clouds to derive PMC scattering phase functions and detect nadir horizontal spatial scales to approximately 3 km. This paper describes the instrument design, its prelaunch characterization and calibration, and flight operations. Flight observations and calibration activities confirm performance inferred during ground test, verifying that CIPS exceeds its measurement requirements and goals. These results are illustrated with example flight images that demonstrate the instrument measurement performance.