MOLECULAR ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN HORIZON STUDY RADIOMETRIC MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT.
Abstract
Previous calculations show that due to the heavy adsorption of the atmospheric oxygen, the resultant radiation both in the wells and in the cores of the 60 Gc/s spectral complex provides a radiometrically bright mantle surrounding the earth. When viewed from space, this oxygen mantle could supply a uniform nonfluctuating signal for radiometric vertical sensing. This possibility of utilizing the thermal properties of the earth's oxygen mantle as a reference for earth vertical sensing from satellite vehicles provided the primary stimulus for the radiometric development program reported on herein. One of the primary problems in defining the performance of a local vertical sensor is that there is no good absolute reference that can be used to determine the sensor error. Thus, where the vertical stability of the satellite is not well enough known to evaluate the performance of a vertical indicator, it is necessary to resort to a more indirect means. By the use of a relatively narrow antenna beam looking vertically downward, the temperature distribution of the oxygen mantlle as a function of latitude on the earth's surface can be determined. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0629583
Entities
People
- H. P. Taylor
- J. A. Campbell