Weighting Function Analysis for the Penn State Upper Atmospheric Water Vapor Microwave Radiometer Experiment

摘要

The measurement of water vapor in the middle atmosphere by microwave radiometry, using the 22.235 GHz water vapor absorption line, is being pursued at the Ionosphere Research Laboratory and the Department of Meteorology here at Penn State. In this report the weighting functions which are required in order to invert the radiance data to obtain the corresponding water vapor profile are derived and calculated. An examination of these weighting functions indicates that, with our instrument, water vapor measurements can successfully be made in the 50 to 85 km altitude range. (Author)