MRI Track 1: Acquisition of a Ka-band Polarization Radar for Atmospheric Process Studies

这一重大研究仪器奖是为了奖励一台剖面云雷达的采购。云雷达比传统天气雷达传输的波长更短，对小散射体更敏感，比如云滴甚至昆虫。该雷达将被纳入阿拉巴马大学亨茨维尔分校(UAH)的移动大气剖面网络(MAPNet)设施，该设施可供广泛社区使用。该雷达将补充现有的MAPNet遥感仪器，并允许用户处理各种新的科学主题。雷达将用于为学生提供实践教育体验，并加强外联活动。该合同是对购买Ka波段剖面雷达(KAPR)的奖励，该雷达将被集成到UAH的MAPNet中。MAPNet是目前AGS社区仪器和设施(CIF)队列的一部分，可供NSF支持的科学界成员部署。MAPNet目前缺乏一台云雷达，该雷达将提供关于云深度/顶部、云水相、云水含量、降水特征和水流星类型的精确估计的重要信息。采集的具体仪器是ProSensing双天线二次相位编码连续波雷达。这种新雷达具有更高的信噪比、更低的距离旁瓣和更小的最小距离。研究小组已经确定了以下研究领域，可以通过使用KAPR来加强：凉季层积云、对流系统环境、云带电、飓风边界层、气溶胶-云相互作用、对流雪带、乳母云和生物飞行物。该项目由重大研究仪器计划、既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)以及物理和动态气象学计划共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Major Research Instrumentation award is for the acquisition of a profiling cloud radar. Cloud radars transmit shorter wavelengths than traditional weather radars and are more sensitive to small scatterers, like cloud droplets and even insects. The radar will be incorporated into the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s (UAH) Mobile Atmospheric Profiling Network (MAPNet) facility which is available for wide community usage. This radar will complement the existing MAPNet remote sensing instrumentation and allow users to address a variety of new science topics. The radar will be used for hands-on educational experiences for students and enhance outreach activities. This award is for the acquisition of a Ka-band profiling radar (KaPR) that would be integrated into UAH’s MAPNet. MAPNet is part of the current AGS Community Instrument and Facility (CIF) cohort and is available for deployment by members of the scientific community supported by NSF. MAPNet currently lacks a cloud radar, which would provide important information on cloud depth/top, cloud water phase, refined estimates of cloud water content, precipitation characteristics, and hydrometeor type. The specific instrument to be acquired is the ProSensing dual antenna Quadratic Phase Coded, continuous wave radar. This new radar has improved signal to noise ratio, lower range sidelobes, and a much smaller minimum range. The research team has identified the following areas of study that could be enhanced by the use of KaPR: cool season stratocumulus clouds, convective system environments, cloud electrification, hurricane boundary layers, aerosol-cloud interactions, convective snow bands, mammatus clouds, and biological flyers. This project is jointly funded by the Major Research Instrumentation program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Physical and Dynamic Meteorology program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.