Mesospheric temperature sensing lidar apparatus

摘要

A lidar sensing apparatus having a laser generating alternating pulses at two respective wavelengths, 372 nm and 374 nm, an optical beam transmitter, a receiver telescope for collecting backscattered returns, a band pass optical filter for isolating the returns at 372 nm and 374 nm wavelengths, a photodetector for converting the returns into electronic counts and a data processor for relating the electronic counts into temperature, is used for mesospheric temperature sensing of the iron layer in the 80 to 100 Km altitude regions by collecting fluorescence returns which are related to temperature using a Fe Boltzmann technique. The apparatus also captures backscattered returns from the middle atmosphere between 30 and 80 km for temperature sensing using the Rayleigh technique, providing a complete temperature profile from 30 to 100 km altitudes.