Miniature aerosol lidar for automated airborne application

摘要

The Russian Mjasishchev 55 (M-55) Geophysica high altitude aircraft is dedicated to atmospheric science research. It carries onboard a set of mutually complementary instruments for in-situ and remote sensing. The Green Miniature Aerosol Lidar (GMAL) has been developed to operate automatically on this platform. It is a short-range, zenith-looking, depolarisation elastic-backscatter lidar based on a 532 nm micro-chip Nd-YAG laser. Compact, low-power consuming, it stands in a 27-litre isolating and warmed hermetic box. The device participated successfully to an extended test campaign in Italy during December 1998 and January 1999, and to the APE/THESEO campaign in the Indian Ocean during February-March 1999. It also showed capabilities for unattended measurement of the low troposphere from the ground. Description of the instrument and preliminary results are presented.