Development of terahertz radiometers
- Reference number
- SM07-0015
- Start and end dates
- 080301-091231
- Amount granted
- 1 320 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Omnisys Instruments AB
- Research area
- Information, Communication and Systems Technology
Summary
The main objectives are to investigate different system design aspects of radiometer systems at THz frequencies and define subsystem implementation plans. The main instruments are the ESA STEAMR and the Eumetsat LeoMS instruments. The available key technologies at component level as well as the baseline concept designs at system level will be reviewed for 3-4 months . Based on this, subsystem implementation baselines will be defined in about 2-3 months time. Detailed development and test plans for subsystem and instrument demonstrators will be assembled in the next 3 months. 3 Months will be used as contingency. The expected results are baseline development and test plans on subsystem and system level for the two instruments.
Popular science description
The air pollution is a hot scientific and political issue. Its importance was confirmed once again by the Nobel Prize for Peace 2007. However, the long term forecast of the possible consequences for the Earth and civilization can only be made based on exact atmospheric models. Obviously, all scientific models are based on facts and all models require careful experimental verification. It has been already accepted that the global coverage of the atmosphere monitoring can be achieved from space, i.e. from orbiting the Earth satellites. Such environmental satellites have been already used (e.g. Swedish Odin, or NASA's EOS-MLS), and a number of them are foreseen in the future. Molecular spectroscopy is probably the most powerful tool to measure which gases and in what concentration exist in different atmospheric layers. It has been proven that terahertz range (100GHz-3THz) contains fingerprints of many important atmospheric pollutants (i.e. CO2). Instruments for terahertz spectroscopy are called radiometers, and some of them have already been used in space and on stratospheric balloons, confirming their importance for global environmental monitoring. As the technology evolves, new horizons open up for instruments developers. E.g. recent progress with terahertz integrated circuit receivers, low noise amplifiers, and advances in Schottky diode technology at Chalmers University of Technology, has created a unique opportunity for terahertz radiometers of a new class: high performance, compact, cost effective. In collaboration with Onmisys Instruments AB, one of the world’s leader in high frequency instrumentation, new radiometer architectures will be explored using the above mentioned techniques. Among the other applications for terahertz radiometers security screening, non-destructive tests, etc., can be named.