Polar Bear UV Images of Airglow and Aurora-Data Reduction and Analysis

Polar Bear UV Images of Airglow and Aurora-Data Reduction and Analysis
Author: Moshe Tur
Publisher:
Total Pages: 37
Release: 1988
Genre:
ISBN:

The AIRS scanning ultraviolet photometer aboard the Polar Bear satellite was launched in late 1986. It was designed to obtain UV images with high spatial and wavelength resolution at several emission lines simultaneously. The objective of the program is to geometrically and photometrically calibrate the data. The processing is designed to provide kilometer-scaled images that can be projected upon various coordinate systems. These tools afford studies of the spatial and temporal variability of airglow and aurora. Each data-stream from a pass is converted to a 240 x 240 image representing 5000 x 5000km records of intensity. The major progress during the report period has been modification and development of programs to accomplish the following: 1) A Chapman function correction to the solar flux dependence of the intensity, resulting with a successful daytime fit of power unity of above variable to pixel brightness. 2) Separation of night-glow domain to ordinary and continuous (24 hr) night regions. 3) Projection of images onto dipole & corrected geomagnetic coordinate systems. 4) Comparison of auroral arcs with known auroral oval and initiation of a UV oval from input images. Keywords: Aurora; Ultraviolet; Image processing; Airglow. (jhd).

Polar Bear UV Imaging of Airglow and Aurora - Image Processing and Results

Polar Bear UV Imaging of Airglow and Aurora - Image Processing and Results
Author: Moshe Tur
Publisher:
Total Pages: 67
Release: 1989
Genre:
ISBN:

In late 1986, AFGL launched the Polar BEAR satellite, which was designed for UV imagery of the northern pole region. The AIRS scanning ultraviolet photometer aboard the satellite provides images of day and night auroral structures of unprecedented spectral and spatial resolution at 2 working spectral windows simultaneously. It is necessary to apply geometric and photometric corrections to the image in order to enhance and map it onto the ionosphere. Furthermore, satellite attitude corrections are imperative to assure that image coordinates are properly rotated to the real-time body reference system. To the best knowledge of the authors, this project is the first one to fully include geometric and photometric corrections to VUV images of the ionosphere. (aw).