Instrumentation for the University of Washington's Integrated Airborne Atmospheric Research Facility

国家科学基金会重大研究仪器计划旨在改善S国家学术机构用于研究和培训的科学和工程设备及设施的条件。二十五年来，华盛顿大学(UW)一直在维护和使用一种先进的空中设施，用于大气研究和学生培训。该设施已用于广泛的重要(通常是独特的)调查，包括研究大气痕量气体和颗粒的源和汇(例如火山、生物质燃烧和各种人为来源)、云在天气和气候中的作用(例如。1997年，威斯康星大学获得了一个研究此类研究的新平台(双引擎涡轮螺旋桨Convair 580)。与UW使用的以前的飞机相比，它的性能能力要强得多。这项核磁共振成就奖将用于购买将在Convair 580上携带的新一代研究仪器。这些仪器包括测量大气化学中几个关键微量气体的仪器、测量空气中颗粒物的粒度分布和浓度的几个新仪器、测量降水颗粒物的粒子谱、测量三维空气运动以及一个新的飞机数据采集系统。这些仪器将使人们能够调查与地球大气、天气和气候变化有关的各种悬而未决的问题，并将有助于形成新的研究伙伴关系。新的综合研究设施还将用于加强对本科生和研究生进行空中大气研究的培训。

The NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) is designed to improve the condition of scientific and engineering equipment and facilities for research and training in the NationÆs academic institutions. For twenty-five years the University of Washington (UW) has maintained and utilized a sophisticated airborne facility for atmospheric research and for the training of students. This facility has been used for a wide range of important (often unique) investigations, including studies of the sources and sinks of atmospheric trace gases and particles (e.g., volcanoes, biomass burning and various anthropogenic sources), the role of clouds in weather and climate (e.g.. clouds as chemical processors; the microstructure of clouds; the optical and radiative properties of clouds and their effects on climate), and the mesoscale structures of large storm systems (e.g., the organization of clouds and precipitation in mid-latitude cyclones).In 1997 the UW acquired a new platform for such studies (a twin-engine turboprop Convair 580). which has significantly greater performance capabilities than the previous aircraft used by the UW. This MRI award provides for the purchase of a new generation of research instruments to be carried on the Convair 580. These include instruments for measuring several trace gases of key importance in atmospheric chemistry, several new instruments for measuring the size distributions and concentrations of airborne particles, measurements of the size spectra of precipitation particles, measurement of three-dimensional air motions, and a new data acquisition system for the aircraft.These instruments will permit investigations of a variety of outstanding issues related to the earth's changing atmosphere, weather and climate and will aid the formation of new research partnerships. The new integrated research facility will be used also for the enhanced training of undergraduate and graduate students in airborne atmospheric research.