Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-v5vhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-29T01:30:15.413Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reanalysis of the 1992 South Pole Millimetre-Wavelength Atmospheric Opacity Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Richard A. Chamberlin
Richard A. Chamberlin*
Affiliation:
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
*
BE-mail: cham@submm.caltech.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In 1992 an NRAO 225-GHz site survey heterodyne radiometer was placed at the Geographical South Pole. The instrument operated over an entire annual cycle and provided direct measurements of the millimetre-wave sky brightness temperature as a function of zenith angle. Interpreted in a single-slab ‘skydip’ radiation transfer model of the atmosphere, these sky brightness measurements provided a time series of the millimetre atmospheric opacity. Statistics derived from this opacity time series were important for making comparisons with other candidate millimetre and sub-millimetre wave astronomy sites. This paper reexamines the 1992 measurements and the original analysis. Details of the skydip fit model, radiometer gain error, instrument stability, and a mid-season replacement to a window in the instrument enclosure combined to cause a modest under-reporting of the atmospheric opacity in previous reports. Unchanged are earlier conclusions that dry air makes a significant contribution to the total opacity at 225 GHz.

Keywords

instrumentation: miscellaneousmethods: data analysissite testingatmospheric effects
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , 2004 , pp. 264 - 274
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 2004

References

Calisse, P. G. 2004, PASA, 21, 257 Google Scholar
Chamberlin, R. A., & Bally, J. 1994, ApOpt, 33, 1095 Google Scholar
Chamberlin, R. A., & Bally, J. 1995, JIMW, 16, 907 Google Scholar
Chamberlin, R. A., Lane, A. P., & Stark, A. A. 1997, ApJ, 476, 428 Google Scholar
Chamberlin, R. A. 2001, JGR-Atmospheres, 106 (p. 20, 101)Google Scholar
Chamberlin, R. A., Martin, R., Martin, C. L., & Stark, A. A. 2003, in SPIE Proc. Ser. 4855, eds. T. G. Phillips, & J. Zmuidzinas (Bellingham, WA: SPIE)Google Scholar
Davis, J. H., & Vanden Bout, P. 1973, ApL, 15, 43 Google Scholar
Elgered, G. 1993, in Atmospheric Remote Sensing By Microwave Radiometry, ed. M. A. Janssen (New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons), 227 Google Scholar
Grossman, E. 1989, AT Program, Version 1.5 (Boulder, CO: Air Head Software)Google Scholar
Ingalls, J. G. 1999, Ph.D. Thesis (Boston, MA: Boston Univ)Google Scholar
Kraus, J. D. 1986, Radio Astronomy, 2nd ed. pp. 3–32 (Powell, OH: Cygnus-Quasar)Google Scholar
Lane, A. P. 1978, Skydip Data Reduction Program for the FCRAO Millimeter Telescope, Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (Amherst, MA: Univ Massachusetts)Google Scholar
Lane, A. P. 1982, Ph.D. Thesis (Amherst, MA: Univ Massachusetts)Google Scholar
Liu, Zhong-Yi. 1987, 225 GHzAtmospheric Receiver, Internal Rep. 271 (Charlottesville, VA: NRAO)Google Scholar
McKinnon, M. 1987, Measurement of Atmospheric Opacity Due to Water Vapor at 225 GHz, MMA, Memo 40 (Charlottesville, VA: NRAO)Google Scholar
Meeks, M. L., & Ruze, J. 1971, ITAP, 19, 723 Google Scholar
Pardo, J. R., Cernicharo, J., & Serabyn, E. 2001, ITAP, 49/12, 1683 Google Scholar
Peterson, J. B., Radford, S. J. E., Ade, P. A. R., Chamberlin, R. A., O'Kelly, M. J., Peterson, K. M., & Schartman, E. 2003, PASP, 115, 383 Google Scholar
Radford, S. J. E., Butler, B. J., Sakamoto, S., & Kohno, K. 2001, Atmospheric Transparency at Chajnantor and Pampa la Bola, Memo 384 (Charlottesville, VA: NRAO)Google Scholar
Radford, S. J. E. 2002, in ASP Conf. Ser. 226, eds. J. Vernin, Z. Benkhaldoun, & C. Muoz-Tun (San Francisco, CA:ASP), 148 Google Scholar
Rosenkranz, P. W. 1993, in Atmospheric Remote Sensing by Microwave Radiometry, ed. M. A. Janssen (New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons), 45 Google Scholar
Rohlfs, K. 1986, Tools of Radio Astronomy (Heidelberg: Springer)Google Scholar
Schwerdtfeger, W. 1984, Weather and Climate of the Antarctic (New York, NY: Elsevier)Google Scholar
Shimabukuro, F. I. 1964, ITAP, 14, 228 Google Scholar
Stark, A. A., Bally, J., Balm, S., Bania, T. M., Bolatto, A. D., Chamberlin, R. A., Engargiola, G., Huang, M., Ingalls, J. G., Jacobs, K., Jackson, J. M., Kooi, J. W., Lane, A. P., Lo, K. Y., Marks, R. D., Martin, C. L., Mumma, D., Ojha, R., Schieder, R., Staguhn, J., Stutzki, J., Walker, C. K., Wilson, R. W., Wright, G. A., Zhang, X., Zimmermann, P., & Zimmermann, R. 2001, PASP, 113, 567 Google Scholar
Ulich, B. L., & Haas, R. W. 1976, ApJS, 30, 723 Google Scholar