Michael W. Kelly

Architectural trades for an advanced geostationary atmospheric sounding instrument

The process of formulating a remote sensing instrument design from a set of observational requirements involves a series of trade studies during which judgments are made between available design options. The outcome of this process is a system architecture which drives the size, weight, power consumption, cost, and technological risk of the instrument. In this paper, a set of trade studies are described which guided the development of a baseline sensor design to provide vertical profiles (soundings) of atmospheric temperature and humidity from future Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) platforms. Detailed trade studies presented include the choice between an interferometric versus a dispersive spectrometer, the optical design of the IR interferometer and visible imaging channel, the optimization of the instrument spatial response, the selection of detector array materials, operating temperatures, and array size, the thermal design for detector and optics cooling, and the electronics required to process detected interferograms into spectral radiance. The trade study process was validated through simulations of the radiometric performance of the instrument, and through simulated retrievals of vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity. The flexibility of these system trades is emphasized, highlighting the differing outcomes that occur from this process as system requirements evolve. Observations are made with respect to the reliability and readiness of key technologies. The results of this study were disseminated to industry to assist their interpretation of, and responses to, system requirements provided by the U.S. Government.

Proton irradiations of large-area Hg1-xCdxTe photovoltaic detectors for the cross-track infrared sounder

The effect of radiation on HgCdTe photodiodes is an important parameter to understand when determining the long-term performance limitations for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), a Fourier Transform interferometric sensor that will fly as part of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). The CrIS sensor uses relatively large area photovoltaic detectors, 1 mm in diameter. Each p-on-n HgCdTe photodiode consists of MBE grown, n-type material on lattice matched CdZnTe, with arsenic implantation used to form the junction. A 1mm diameter detector is achieved by using a lateral collection architecture. Solar, and trapped protons are a significant source of radiation in the NPOESS 833 km orbits. We irradiated 22 LWIR detectors with protons at the Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory (HCL) and monitored the I-V performance and dynamic impedance of each detector. Three groups of detectors were irradiated with either 44, 99, or 153-MeV protons, each between 1×1010 - 4×1012 p+/cm2. Several I-V data sets were collected within that fluence range at all three energies. All the detectors were warmed to room temperature for approximately 96 hours following the largest proton dose, re-cooled, and then re-characterized in terms of I-V performance and dynamic impedance. The total noise increase predicted for CrIS after 7-years in orbit is less than 1%.

A method for correcting Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) dynamic alignment errors

The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), like most Fourier Transform spectrometers, can be sensitive to mechanical disturbances during the time spectral data is collected. The Michelson interferometer within the spectrometer modulates input radiation at a frequency equal to the product of the wavenumber of the radiation and the constant optical path difference (OPD) velocity associated with the moving mirror. The modulation efficiency depends on the angular alignment of the two wavefronts exiting the spectrometer. Mechanical disturbances can cause errors in the alignment of the wavefronts which manifest as noise in the spectrum. To mitigate these affects CrIS will employ a laser to monitor alignment and dynamically correct the errors. Additionally, a vibration isolation system will damp disturbances imparted to the sensor from the spacecraft. Despite these efforts, residual noise may remain under certain conditions. Through simulation of CrIS data, we demonstrated an algorithmic technique to correct residual dynamic alignment errors. The technique requires only the time-dependent wavefront angle, sampled coincidentally with the interferogram, and the second derivative of the erroneous interferogram as inputs to compute the correction. The technique can function with raw interferograms on board the spacecraft, or with decimated interferograms on the ground. We were able to reduce the dynamic alignment noise by approximately a factor of ten in both cases. Performing the correction on the ground would require an increase in data rate of 1-2% over what is currently planned, in the form of 8-bit digitized angle data.

Hyperspectral environmental suite for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)

The GOES satellites will fly a Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES) on GOES-R in the 2012 timeframe. The approximately 1500 spectral channels (technically ultraspectral), leading to improved vertical resolution, and approximately five times faster coverage rate planned for the sounder in this suite will greatly exceed the capabilities of the current GOES series instrument with its 18 spectral channels. In the GOES-R timeframe, frequent measurements afforded by geostationary orbits will be critical for numerical weather prediction models. Since the current GOES soundings are assimilated into numerical weather prediction models to improve the validity of model outputs, particularly in areas with little radiosonde coverage, this hyperspectral capability in the thermal infrared will significantly improve sounding performance for weather prediction in the western hemisphere, while providing and enhancing other products. Finer spatial resolution is planned for mesoscale observation of water vapor variations. The improvements over the previous GOES sounders and a primary difference from other planned instruments stem from two-dimensional focal plane array availability. These carry an additional set of challenges in terms of instrument specifications, which will be discussed. As a suite, HES is planned with new capabilities for coastal ocean coverage with the goal of including open ocean coverage. These new planned imaging applications, which will be either multispectral or hyperspectral, will also be discussed.

Efficient Algorithm to Correct for Tilt Disturbances on FTS Data

Fourier-transform spectrometers using plane mirror interferometers can suffer from residual mirror misalignment. An efficient algorithm has been developed to correct directly, in real-time, the sampled interferogram for signal distortions arising from this residual tilt.

Noise performance of the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) sounder: flight and model results

NAST-1 is a Fourier transform interferometric sounder that provides very high spectral and spatial resolution measurements of the Earths atmosphere. The interferometer provides two dimensional, low noise data from the NASA ER-2 aircraft suitable for synthesizing data products of future satellite-borne sounding instrument candidates. It is the first such high altitude aircraft or satellite borne instrument. The instrument provides a 2.6 km nadir footprint and a cross-track field of regard of +/- 48.2 degrees. The instrument has a continuous spectral range of 3.6-16.1 micrometers , spectral resolution of 0.25 cm-1, and radiometric noise on the order of 0.25 K. NAST-1 has proven to be an extremely reliable instrument generating over 100 hours of high-quality flight data, and was delivered to the sponsor on a very tight schedule. Using a first principles model, the noise performance of the instrument was modeled and found to be in close agreement with noise measured in- flight. Alignment jitter has been identified as the major contributor to the system NEdN. This paper describes the mode used to predict the instrument noise performance and discusses the comparison to actual flight data.