Engineering Research Equipment Grant: Millimeter Wave Polarimetry

微波偏振雷达（偏振仪）作为一种能够遥感自然表面和体积目标的科学仪器，目前正显示出巨大的前景。随着毫米波器件技术的进步，偏振法的优势将扩展到更高的频率。特别是，毫米波偏振仪将用于感知水、冰、叶状和非叶状地形表面的毫米级特征。它们还将用于对自然体积目标（如雨、雪和云细胞）进行科学研究。马萨诸塞大学已经开发出了95 GHz和225 GHz的偏振计，希望在与其他大学和政府机构的合作研究项目中使用。这项工程研究设备拨款为重新配置95 GHz偏振计提供资金，使其能够准确测量自然表面和大气体积目标的散射行为。提供了新的天线、天线定位系统和开发适当的数据采集系统所需的设备，这些设备将用于各种现场测量程序。

Microwave polarimetric radars (polarimeters) are just now showing great promise as scientific instruments that are capable of remotely sensing natural surface and volume targets. The advantages of polarimetry should extend to higher frequencies as millimeter wave device technology advances. In particular, millimeter wave polarimeters will be useful in sensing the fine millimeter-sized features of water, ice, and foliated and unfoliated terrain surfaces. They will also be used to conduct scientific studies of natural volume targets such as rain, snow and cloud cells. The University of Massachusetts has developed 95 and 225 GHz polarimeters, which it hopes to use in cooperative research projects with other universities and government agencies. This Engineering Research Equipment Grant provides funds to reconfigure the 95 GHz polarimeter so that it can accurately measure the scattering behavior of natural surfaces and atmospheric volume targets. New antennas, an antenna positioning system, and equipment needed to develop an appropriate data acquisition system are provided, which will be used in a variety of field measurement programs.