Extended Abstract (592K)P1R.9
NRC Dual-frequency Airborne Radar for Atmospheric Research
Mengistu Wolde, Institute for Aerospace Research/National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada; and A. L. Pazmany
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), in cooperation with ProSensing Inc., is currently developing a state-of-the-art dual frequency airborne radar system for atmospheric and flight safety research for its Convair-580 research aircraft. The NRC Airborne W and X-band (NAWX) radar system will have polarimetric and Doppler capabilities at both wavelengths and will switch electronically between zenith, nadir and side looking antennas. Using a motorized reflector plate, the zenith W-band antenna will also be able to scan its beam 180 degrees from zenith to nadir in a plane perpendicular to the flight path and ±35 degrees fore and aft, to provide dual-Doppler capability in the side and nadir directions at W-band.
The NAWX radar system will have the following capabilities: o Pulse compression and frequency hopping capability at W-band for improved sensitivity and range and temporal resolution, o Space qualified W-band tube with1.9 kW peak power and 3% duty cycle, designed for the CLOUDSAT mission, o Electronic switching at both frequencies, allowing near-simultaneous sampling of the atmosphere in three planes along the flightline using six antennas, o Innovative design incorporating NRC-developed INS-GPS integrated navigation system for real-time Doppler correction , and o Synchronized operation and data collection for dual-wavelength analysis.
This poster will highlight the NAWX system capabilities and will show data from the ground tests that we expect to conduct in August and September of 2005.
Poster Session 1R, Mm-wave radar and CloudSat
Monday, 24 October 2005, 1:15 PM-3:00 PM, Alvarado F and Atria
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