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A high‐sensitivity laboratory system for measuring the microwave properties of gases under simulated conditions for planetary atmospheres
Author(s) -
Hanley Thomas R.,
Steffes Paul G.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/2007rs003693
Subject(s) - microwave , molar absorptivity , environmental science , atmosphere (unit) , materials science , ranging , range (aeronautics) , sensitivity (control systems) , remote sensing , computational physics , optics , atmospheric sciences , physics , meteorology , geology , geodesy , engineering , quantum mechanics , electronic engineering , composite material
A system for measuring the microwave properties of gases under simulated conditions for planetary atmospheres has been under continuous development at Georgia Tech for over 2 decades (see, e.g., DeBoer and Steffes, 1996). The measurements from this system form the basis for accurately modeling the microwave properties of gases under various planetary conditions, which are essential in determining the presence and concentration of such gases through various microwave remote sensing techniques. This system consists of two independent configurations, one capable of measuring gas mixtures up to pressures of 3 bars at frequencies from 22 to 40 GHz, and another capable of pressures up to 12 bars over the frequency range from 1.5 to 24.1 GHz. The former configuration exhibits maximum 2‐ σ sensitivities in absorptivity of 0.25 dB/km and in refractivity of 2.0, while the latter configuration exhibits maximum 2‐ σ sensitivities in absorptivity ranging from 0.01 dB/km at 1.5 GHz (20 cm) to 1.0 dB/km at 24.1 GHz (1.25 cm) and in refractivity from 0.05 at 1.5 GHz to 3.13 at 24.1 GHz.