Infrared Balloon Experiment: Improved instrumental configuration and assessment of instrument performance

Year: 2006

Authors: Bianchini G., Boscaleri A., Carli B., Mencaraglia F., Palchetti L., Pascale E.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto di Fisica Applicata Nello Carrara, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Florence, Italy

Abstract: During the 2002 environmental satellite Envisat mid-latitude validation campaign, a new upgraded configuration of the Infrared Balloon Experiment (IBEX) Fourier transform spectrometer, which had its first flight in 1978, performed a stratospheric balloon flight across the Mediterranean Sea. Among the substantial upgrades made to the instrument, the use of photon-noise-limited detectors permitted us to reach the theoretical limits in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. Also, important modifications were made to the interferometric system and electronics, such as the installation of a solid-state laser reference source and an onboard data recording system. During the flight, measurement of volume-mixing-ratio vertical profiles of O 3, HNO3, N2O, and CIO from an altitude of ˜38 km were performed with a vertical resolution of ˜ 1.5 km.

Journal/Review: APPLIED OPTICS

Volume: 45 (5)      Pages from: 1041  to: 1051

KeyWords: Data reduction; Fourier transforms; Satellites; Signal to noise ratio; Spectrometers, Interferometric system; Laser reference source; Photon-noise-limited detectors, Infrared radiation
DOI: 10.1364/AO.45.001041