RAPID: REAL Security and Safety

拉曼移位人眼安全气溶胶激光雷达(REAL)观测平台现在位于加州州立大学奇科分校，最初是在NSF和NCAR(国家大气研究中心)的支持下设计和组装的。它支持由首席调查员领导的低大气研究和基于大学的教学相结合。REAL在1.54微米波长下运行，能够绘制城市污染物和自然产生的粉尘/气溶胶的分布图。通过跟踪气溶胶特征的运动，REAL提供了邻近地球表面的空气运动的高分辨率描述，而返回信号的后向散射去极化提供了有关遇到的粒子形状的信息。这一快速类型的奖励将迅速支持所需的高精度反射镜的翻新，这些反射镜用于准确和高效地引导激光雷达能量，并恢复REAL的波束控制单元的全部功能。现场安全的相关升级将确保系统在校外CSU-CHICO研究农场位置的可靠运行。小型便携式起重机的内部设计和制造将允许安全可靠地从REAL的收发机和相关仪器所在的装运集装箱顶部拆除和更换高架梁转向单元。这项工作的智力价值在于恢复和保持REAL收集高质量观测的能力，并为平台提供足够的保护以供未来使用。这项努力的广泛影响将包括提高参与REAL操作的学生和工作人员的安全，以及它继续可用于支持定于2011年初举行的现场教育活动。

The Raman-shifted Eye-safe Aerosol Lidar (REAL) observing platform, now based at the California State University at Chico, was originally designed and assembled with support from NSF and NCAR (the National Center for Atmospheric Research). It supports a combination of lower-atmospheric research and university-based instruction led by the Principal Investigator. REAL operates at a wavelength 1.54 microns, and is capable of mapping distributions of urban pollutants and naturally occurring dusts/aerosols. By tracking the movement of aerosol features, REAL provides high-resolution depictions of air motions adjacent to the earth's surface, while backscatter depolarization of returned signals provides information on the shape of encountered particles. This RAPID-type award will promptly support required refurbishment of high-precision mirrors used to accurately and efficiently direct lidar energy, and restore full functionality to REAL's beam steering unit. Associated upgrades to site security will ensure reliable operation of the system at an off-campus CSU-Chico research farm location. In-house design and fabrication of a small and portable crane will allow safe and reliable removal and replacement of the elevated beam steering unit from atop the shipping container in which REAL's transceiver and associated instrumentation reside.The Intellectual Merit of this work rests in restoring and maintaining the ability of the REAL to collect high-quality observations, and adequate protection of the platform for future use.Broader Impacts of this effort will include increased safety for students and staff involved in REAL's operation, and its continued availability for support of on-site educational activities scheduled for early 2011.