Development of a CCD Camera Based Lidar for Measurement of Boundary Layer Aerosols

这一重大研究仪器计划下的项目涉及利用当前的CCD数码相机技术开发新一代双基地光探测和测距(激光雷达)仪器。与更传统的同轴或共线激光雷达系统相比，这一进步提供了一个优势，因为人们可以通过大气获得垂直剖面。这类仪器可以用来描绘周围大气中的气溶胶和细颗粒，从而增进我们对大气气溶胶特性和行星边界层中的动力学行为的了解。通过中康涅狄格州立大学和美国国家海洋和大气局/气候监测和诊断实验室的合作，研究人员将开发两种这样的仪器，并评估它们在清洁和污染环境中的表现。研究结果将对细化大气气溶胶对人类健康、能见度损害、辐射强迫和全球气候的重要性产生广泛影响。对教育和基础设施的更广泛影响包括一名职业生涯早期的女首席调查员参与指导该项目，以及在她的指导下获得本科生研究经验的机会。此外，该仪器将大大增强非博士授予机构的环境科学研究的研究能力和基础设施。

This project under the Major Research Instrumentation program involves developing a new generation of bistatic light detection and ranging (lidar) instruments using current CCD digital camera technology. This advance offers an advantage over more traditional coaxial or collinear lidar systems in that one can derive a vertical profile through the atmosphere. Such instruments can be utilized to profile aerosols and fine particles within the ambient atmosphere leading to improving our understanding of atmospheric aerosol properties and dynamic behavior in the planetary boundary layer. By collaboration between Central Connecticut State University and the NOAA/Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory investigators will develop two such instruments and evaluate their performance in both clean and polluted environments. Results will have broad impact in refining the importance of atmospheric aerosols on human health, visibility impairment, radiative forcing and global climate. Broader impacts on education and infrastructure include the involvement of an early-career female Principal Investigator directing the project and opportunities for undergraduate student research experience under her tutelage. Further, the instrumentation will enhance substantially the research capability and infrastructure of environmental science research at a non-Ph.D. granting institution.