Combined Raman lidar for aerosol, ozone, and moisture measurements

Abstract

A combined Raman elastic‐backscatter lidar for tropospheric profiling of moisture, ozone, and aerosols and stratospheric profiling of ozone, aerosols, and temperature is presented. A XeCl excimer and a frequency‐tripled Nd:YAG laser serve as light sources. An eight‐channel interference‐filter polychromator is used as the receiver. Water vapor, particle extinction and backscatter coefficients, and the particle lidar ratio are determined by the use of the Raman‐lidar technique. For depolarization studies the parallel‐ and cross‐polarized components of the 355‐nm elastic‐backscatter signal are detected. Ozone can be derived from the Raman nitrogen channels as well as from the elastic‐backscatter channels by applying the Raman‐DIAL and the DIAL technique, respectively. The temperature is obtained from the Raman and Rayleigh signals in the particle‐free stratosphere. The apparatus is described in detail. Measurement examples showing the capabilities of the new system are given. © 1996 Society of Photo−Optical Instrumentation Engineers.