Balloon-borne radiosonde for the measurement of the atmospheric thermal structure coefficient

Abstract

The characteristics and operational limits of a balloon‐borne radiosonde working up to 20 000 m for the measurement of the atmospheric thermal structure coefficient C T 2 are described. The knowledge of C T 2 profile up to 20 000 m gives information about the optical quality of the atmosphere with respect to high resolution astronomical observations. The radiosondes were launched during a research campaign carried out at Tenerife, Canary Islands in connection with the European JOSO (Joint Organisation for Solar Observations) project.