Ground-based airglow imaging interferometer. Part 1: instrument and observation.

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric Physics
• Geophysics
• Optical Physics

Background:

• The mesopause region is critical for understanding atmospheric dynamics and energy transfer.
• Measuring temperature and wind simultaneously in the mesopause is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a ground-based airglow imaging interferometer (GBAII) for simultaneous mesopause temperature and wind measurements.
• To utilize O2(0-1) band airglow emissions for atmospheric remote sensing.

Main Methods:

• Employed a wide-angle Michelson interferometer with a large air gap.
• Combined interferometric phase and spectral information with rotational temperature measurements.
• Optimized and calibrated the optical system in laboratory settings.

Main Results:

• A prototype GBAII was assembled and tested.
• Observed mesopause temperatures ranged from 167-196 K.
• Zonal and meridional winds exhibited faint half-day oscillation features.

Conclusions:

• The GBAII prototype successfully achieved its basic design goals.
• Observed data showed consistent trends with standard atmospheric models.
• The GBAII shows promise for future mesopause region studies.