NON-SCANNING CLIMATE SENSOR

TO MAKE ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS OF THE EARTH'S RADIATION BUDGET IT IS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENTS AS WELL AS TOTAL RADIATION MEASUREMENTS. TO DATE, THESE ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN SEPARATE SCANNING INSTRUMENTS WHICH MECHANICALLY SCAN A SET OF DETECTORS ACROSS THE EARTH. THESE MECHANICAL SCANNERS HAVE LIMITED LIFETIMES AND REQUIRE OPTICAL TELESCOPES TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED SENSITIVITY. THE OPTICAL ELEMENTS INTRODUCE SPECTRAL AND POLARIZATION EFFECTS WHICH DEGRADE THE ACCURACYOF THE DATA AND ARE DIFFICULT TO CALIBRATE OUT. THE DATA RATES AND POWER CONSUMPTION ARE ALSO HIGH FOR SCANNING INSTRUMENTS. A NEW TYPE OF CLIMATE SENSOR IS PROPOSED WHICH OBTAINS ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS IN ALL OF THE DESIRED DIRECTIONS BY MEANS OF A NON-SCANNING MOSAIC ARRAY OF DETECTORS. THE DETECTORS TO BE USED ARE THE ACTIVE CAVITY RADIOMETER DETECTORS DEVELOPED AND FLOWN ON THE NASA/TRW ERBE NON-SCANNER INSTRUMENT. THESE DETECTORS MEASURE ENERGY DIRECTLY BY MEANS OF A TEMPERATURE BALANCE SYSTEM. THEY ARE, THEREFORE, EXTREMELY STABLE AND ACCURATE AND HAVE A FLAT SPECTRAL RESPONSE. A SINGLE INSTRUMENT IS PROPOSED WHICH WOULD INCLUDE NOT ONLYA MOSAIC ARRAY OF ACR DETECTORS BUT ALSO A SET OF WIDE FIELDOF VIEW ACR DETECTORS FOR VIEWING THE WHOLE EARTH.