A mobile, rapid–scanning, X-band, polarimetric (RaXPol) Doppler radar system

ProSensing Inc., in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma, developed a novel, X-band, rapid-scanning mobile radar for severe-weather research. The key features of this new radar include a pedestal that can rotate in azimuth a 2.4 m diameter dual-polarized parabolic dish antenna at 180 deg s-1, a frequency agile 1% duty, 20 kW peak power TWTA transmitter and a dual-channel data system with parallelized multi-core signal processing capability. In a typical rapid-scan mode, the radar can complete a 10 elevation-angle volume scan over 360 deg in about 20 seconds, while maintaining a 1 deg sampling resolution in azimuth. Standard data products include V and H-polarized reflectivity, Doppler velocity mean and standard deviation and differential phase. This paper will describe the RaXPol radar system and present data collected in the U.S. Central Plains during the 2011 spring tornado season.