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Ionospheric RF lidar
Author(s) -
Fukuchi T.,
Wong A. Y.,
Wuerker R. F.
Publication year - 1990
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/rs025i006p01299
Subject(s) - lidar , laser , ranging , ionosphere , physics , wavelength , transmitter , microwave , airglow , optics , radio frequency , radio wave , pulse (music) , remote sensing , atomic physics , geology , telecommunications , detector , geophysics , channel (broadcasting) , geodesy , quantum mechanics , computer science
A new diagnostic consisting of a high‐power radio frequency (RF) or microwave transmitter and a ground‐based lidar (light detection and ranging) system is proposed for probing the ionosphere at heights of 80–200 km. The high‐power transmitter creates energetic electrons in the ionosphere, which excite molecules to higher energy levels. These excited molecules become targets for a laser ranging system by resonantly absorbing and reradiating light at specific wavelengths. A laser pulse tuned to a specific transition wavelength is fired from a ground‐based laser, and the reradiated light is detected by a ground‐based light collector. A study of atmospheric species for ranging was performed, and the most suitable species were found to be N 2 and N 2 + . A laser whose output is matched exactly to the vibrational‐rotational spectrum of ionospheric N 2 is proposed as the lidar master oscillator instead of a tunable dye laser.