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Estimation of the propagation delay through the troposphere from microwave radiometer dataMicrowave propagation delay through the troposphere is studied as a means of estimating the adverse effect of atmospheric water vapor on the accuracy of measurements made with very long baseline interferometry. Vertical profiles of temperature and water vapor density were obtained from a total of 240 radiosonde launches taken simultaneously at three New England locations in 1974; all studies were made at the 19 and 22.2 GHz frequency operating range of the radiometers. The wet path length in the zenith direction could be estimated from the surface water vapor density to an accuracy of 5 cm for the summer data and 2 cm for winter data, and with the brightness temperatures, it could be estimated to an accuracy of 0.3 cm. Two dual-frequency radiometers were also used to determine the accuracy of prediction of the path length from real radiometry data. The rms error for the estimation of wet path length from surface meteorological parameters was 3.2 cm, and for the radiometer brightness temperatures the rms error was 1.5 cm.
Document ID
19810047409
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Moran, J. M.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Rosen, B. R.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, Mass., United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 1981
Publication Information
Publication: Radio Science
Volume: 16
Subject Category
Communications And Radar
Accession Number
81A31813
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-20975
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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