Snodar: 2009 performance at Dome A, Antarctica

Colin S. Bonner; Michael C. B. Ashley; Stuart G. Bradley; Xiangqun Cui; LongLong Feng; Xuefei Gong; Jon S. Lawrence; Daniel M. Luong-Van; Zhaohui Shang; John W. V. Storey; Lifan Wang; Huigen Yang; Ji Yang; Xu Zhou; Zhenxi Zhu

doi:10.1117/12.856659

5 August 2010 Snodar: 2009 performance at Dome A, Antarctica

Colin S. Bonner, Michael C. B. Ashley, Stuart G. Bradley, Xiangqun Cui, LongLong Feng, Xuefei Gong, Jon S. Lawrence, Daniel M. Luong-Van, Zhaohui Shang, John W. V. Storey, Lifan Wang, Huigen Yang, Ji Yang, Xu Zhou, Zhenxi Zhu

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7733, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes III; 77334A (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856659
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Snodar is a high resolution acoustic radar designed specifically for profiling the atmospheric boundary layer on the high Antarctic plateau. Snodar profiles the atmospheric temperature structure function constant to a vertical resolution of 1 m or better with a minimum sample height of 8 m. The maximum sampling height is dependent on atmospheric conditions but is typically at least 100 m. Snodar uses a unique in-situ intensity calibration method that allows the instrument to be autonomously recalibrated throughout the year. The instrument is initially intensity calibrated against tower-mounted differential microthermal sensors. A calibration sphere is located in the near-field of the antenna to provide a fixed echo of known intensity, allowing the instrument to be continuously re-calibrated once deployed. This allows snow accumulation, transducer wear and system changes due to temperature to be monitored. Year-round power and communications are provided by the PLATO facility. This allows processed data to be downloaded every 6 hours while raw data is stored on-site for collection the following summer. Over 4 million processed samples have been downloaded through PLATO to date. We present signal attenuation from accumulation of snow and ice on Snodar's parabolic reflector during the 2009 at Dome A.

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Colin S. Bonner, Michael C. B. Ashley, Stuart G. Bradley, Xiangqun Cui, LongLong Feng, Xuefei Gong, Jon S. Lawrence, Daniel M. Luong-Van, Zhaohui Shang, John W. V. Storey, Lifan Wang, Huigen Yang, Ji Yang, Xu Zhou, and Zhenxi Zhu "Snodar: 2009 performance at Dome A, Antarctica", Proc. SPIE 7733, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes III, 77334A (5 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856659

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KEYWORDS

Calibration

Optical spheres

Reflectors

Acoustics

Antennas

Transducers

Scattering

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