Experiments in X-band Phased-Array Weather Radar Polarimetry

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Phased-array radar is a mature technology that has recently been applied to remote sensing of clouds and precipitation. These radar systems have several advantages over current weather radars, however there are biases introduced when dealing with polarimetric variables that help to discriminate between precipitation types. This award will allow researchers to conduct experiments with the goal of providing a clearer picture of the capabilities and limitations of phased-array technology for weather polarimetry. The broader societal impacts of the award are related to improving technology that could eventually be used to study and forecast severe weather. Students would be directly involved in the project, giving them valuable training experience. The radar testbed will be made available to other researchers and it could potentially be used as a gap-filling radar for the local region. Phased-array radar has a long history of use for point measurements, but making polarimetric measurements using phased-array is more complicated than for a traditional antenna design. The PI will perform engineering and observational experiments with the Raytheon Low Power Radar (LPR) to study the polarization performance, biases, and other measurement uncertainties particular to phased-array weather radar antennas, as well as to explore new capabilities including rapid scanning, polarization correction, and alternate polarization bases. The LPR would be co-located with a mechanically-scanned radar for comparison purposes.