The Stratospheric Wind Interferometer for Transport studies (original) (raw)

The Stratospheric Wind Interferometer For Transport studies (SWIFT) is an instrument intended to measure winds to an accuracy of 5 m s-1 or better in the stratosphere, during both day and night, as well as ozone concentrations. It is based on WINDII, the WIND Imaging Interferometer on the UARS satellite, but there are a number of important differences. WINDII operated in the visible region, with widely-spaced airglow emission lines, a field-widened Michelson intefferometer that uses glass combinations to provide thermal stability, and a CCD detector. SWIFT uses the thermal emission from an ozone line near 8.9 gm, a region in which the choice of refractive materials is very limited. Through a careful search for a suitable line several were found of appropriate strength that were adequately isolated, but only with a combination of etalon filters. Fortunately, HgCdTe array detectors are available so the detector is not a problem. By measuring both winds and ozone concentration it is possible to measure ozone fluxes. SWIFT will study ozone transport, transport across the subtropical mixing barrier, equatorial dynamics and data assimilation. The latter is an important tool for the execution of the scientific objectives.

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