Remote sensing of clouds with longwave infrared cameras at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Date
2018
Authors
van Bodegom, Patrick
Editors
Advisors
Clay, Roger William
Dawson, Bruce Robert
Dawson, Bruce Robert
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Theses
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Abstract
Knowledge of atmospheric conditions at the site of a cosmic ray observatory
is important, especially for measurements made using the fluorescence technique. At the Pierre
Auger Observatory in Argentina, an extensive network of meteorological instruments is dedicated to
atmospheric monitoring, several of which are used for the remote sensing of night-time clouds.
Clouds can be identified passively by detection of the thermal radiation they emit, and are often
strong radiators at long-wave infrared wavelengths. As part of the University of Adelaide’s
contribution to the Observatory, we have in- stalled four infrared cameras at the Observatory for
cloud detection. The current generation cloud cameras are radiometric, and are sensitive to the
8–14 μm waveband. However, identifying clouds is not necessarily straight- forward as atmospheric
water vapour also absorbs and emits radiation at these wavelengths.
In this dissertation, I present the method that I use to identify clouds in our thermal images.
Another major focus of my studies has been to calibrate our cameras. However, as they were already
collecting data at the Observatory, the routines had to be developed remotely. These methods have
been reproducible for each of our cameras, and could perhaps benefit other
researchers in this field.
School/Discipline
School of Physical Sciences
Dissertation Note
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Physical Sciences, 2018
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