Reliability of Disdrometer-derived W-Band Attenuation Predictions

摘要

In remote sensing applications W-band frequencies are used for radar observations of clouds. In a potential rain volume underneath the signals undergo significant attenuation. Also in satellite telecommunications the use of W-band frequencies is planned, to transfer the ever increasing amount of data. Rain attenuation is one of the most significant atmospheric effects influencing propagation, and precise knowledge is important for system design. Often the specific rain attenuation is given as a function of rain rate, but at higher frequencies, such as W-band, the sensitivity to the shape of the drop size distribution (DSD) increases. Incorporating DSD measurements in the prediction process is recommended. In this study the reliability of the attenuation predictions at 90 GHz, based on DSD measurements of a 2D-Video-Disdrometer (2DVD), is confirmed through comparison with radiometric attenuation data, acquired from an Atmospheric Propagation and Profiling System (ATPROP).