Status Report on Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper Activities at ALOMAR

Mike Taylor, P.-Dominique PautetUtah State University

ASAC Meeting - Hamburg, March 2011

ALOMARArctic Lidar Observatory

for High Latitude Research

69.3° N, 16.0° E

Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) for High-Latitude Research

Scientific Goals• Quantify effects of gravity wave dissipation on mesopause region at high latitudes.• Investigate impact of strong auroral storms on D-region dynamics.• Coordinated measurements with lidar, radar and rocket soundings of the high

latitude Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Ionosphere (MTI) system.• Novel instrument: utilizes NIR (0.9-1.65 mm) InGaAs detector coupled to a

specially developed large format (120° field of view) fast (f/1) telecentric optics.

South Pole

InGaAs camera

Optics made at USU/SDL

Spectral range: 1.5-1.65 mm

AMTM Status• One camera system operated at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

since the 2010 Austral winter• Second system installed at ALOMAR in Nov 2010• Fully operational since Jan 2011 • InGaAs camera with high spectral sensitivity over 0.9-1.65 mm.

320 x 256 pixels detectorNew detector greatly simplifies AMTM

automatic operation.

• Near-infrared OH spectral emission lines (around 1.5-1.65 µm) in presence of aurora.

• AMTM observes OH (3,1) and (4,2) spectral lines for MLT temperature measurements (indicated in red)

Poker Flat, Alaska

High-Latitude NIR OH Spectra

AMTM Spectral Range

Installation of the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper at ALOMAR (Nov 2010)

Quartz dome

IR camera (0.9-1.7μm)

Filter wheel

F:1.0 telecentric lens

Temperature measurement every ~45s over 120° FOV

Example of Front/Breaking EventALOMAR 2010-11

Summary of ObservationsNov 2010-Mar 2011

Problem with filter wheel

To date

Fullmoon

Fullmoon

Current Status• We have just been awarded an operation grant for the AMTM by

the US National Science Foundation for a period of 3 years.• The AMTM will be return to USU this summer for further

calibration and to prepare for long-term operations at ALOMAR starting September 2011.

• We have obtained many good nights of data already (23+ this year) and are eager to collaborate.

• During this winter, we have determined that we can operate the AMTM even during moon up conditions which will significantly increase our observing hours in subsequent winter seasons.

Note: The following 2 viewgraphs list dates and times for 2009-10 (OH imager only) and 2010-11 AMTM temperature imaging.

Special thanks to ALOMAR for hiding the light on the tower, we noticed!

Dec 15-16 15:07 UT 18:28 UTDec 16-17 17:40 6:56Dec 18-19 18:05 6:58Dec 20-21 14:55 6:59Dec 22-23 18:22 7:00Dec 24-25 21:32 7:01Dec 25-26 23:14 7:01Dec 26-27 1:07 7:01

Feb 08-09 16:51 5:37Feb 09-10 19:11 Feb 10-11 19:02 5:30Feb 11-12 17:01 Feb 15-16 17:16 Feb 17-18 17:23 5:05Feb 18-19 18:41 #5295Feb 19-20 18:14 #5510Feb 20-21 0:01 3:31

Jan 03-04 15:10 19:11Jan 04-05 15:12 21:15Jan 05-06 15:14 23:11Jan 14-15 15:34 6:43Jan 15-16 15:36 6:41Jan 16-17 15:39 6:40Jan 17-18 15:42 6:38Jan 18-19 15:44 6:35Jan 20-21 18:48 6:31Jan 21-22 18:32 2:17

Jan 22-23 18:30 6:28

Jan 24-25 23:00 6:30

Mar 12-13 Mar 13-14 18:56 3:22Mar 14-15 19:01 3:17

List of USU GW Image 2009-10

Jan 05-06 15:14 6:56Jan 10-11 18:31 6:50Jan 11-12 20:31 6:49Jan 12-13 22:01 6:47Jan 13-14 23:31 6:45Jan 15-16 2:01 6:41Jan 18-19 4:46 6:35Jan 24-25 18:21 6:18

Feb 02-03 16:30 5:57Feb 03-04 16:34 5:54Feb 04-05 16:37 5:51Feb 05-06 16:40 5:47Feb 13-14 2:02 5:13Feb 14-15 3:20 5:10Feb 15-16 3:16 5:06Feb 16-17 3:16 5:02Feb 20-21 17:35 4:21Feb 22-23 17:39 4:39Feb 23-24 19:35 4:35

Mar 10-11 19:31 3:29Mar 14-15 19:00 3:10Mar 16-17 19:09 3:07

List of Best Nights of AMTM Observations - Nov 2010 to date

Nov 26-27 19:52 UT 22:30 UT

Nov 27-28 15:15 0:30

Nov 28-29 15:13 23:30

Contact: dominiquepautet@gmail.com