SGER: Antarctic GPS Radio Occultation Profiling from Stratospheric Balloons

平流层高度的漂移平台提供了一个独特的机会来描绘南极大气，可以增加我们对传统技术取样不足的地区高层大气动力学的理解。例如，了解导致春季极地涡旋破裂的变化对于理解二氧化碳（CO2）与臭氧诱导的南极气候强迫的影响非常重要。法国国家空间研究中心研制了一种平流层超压气球，它能在20千米高空以恒定密度飞行，准备在2009年9月的南极测量活动中部署。将开发Haase机载无线电掩星系统的改进版本，将其纳入气球有效载荷。这个原型系统将在平流层气球在极地涡旋内大约90天的旅程中每小时记录两个剖面。这些探索性数据将为未来的活动铺平道路，这些活动将提供足够的数据，以实质性地改进南极极地涡旋春季破裂的模型表示。这些数据将有助于改进吸收其他先进卫星测深仪数据的方法，特别是红外大气探测干涉仪数据。这笔拨款将促进与在法国的国际科学家的密切合作，这些科学家在平流层气球观测方面具有独特的专业知识。这对两国的科学活动都有共同的价值。

A drifting platform at stratospheric heights presents a unique opportunity to profile the Antarctic atmosphere that can increase our understanding of upper atmosphere dynamics in regions that are poorly sampled by conventional techniques. For example, understanding changes leading up to the breakup of the polar vortex in spring is important to understanding the impact of carbon dioxide (CO2) versus ozone induced forcing of Antarctic climate. The Centre Nationale d'Etudes Spatiales, in France, has developed a stratospheric super-pressure balloon that flies at constant density at 20 km altitude for deployment during an Antarctic measurement campaign in September 2009. A modified version of Haase's airborne radio occultation system will be developed for incorporation into the balloon payload. This prototype system will record two profiles per hour for the approximately 90 day journey of the stratospheric balloon within the polar vortex. These exploratory data will pave the way for future campaigns that will contribute sufficient data to improve substantially model representations of the springtime breakup of the Antarctic polar vortex. These data will contribute to improved methods for assimilating other advanced satellite sounder data, in particular the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI).This grant will foster close collaboration with international scientists in France who have unique expertise in observations from stratospheric balloons. This will be of mutual value to both nation's scientific activities.