A new compact microwave spectroradiometer-ozonometer

A new-generation mobile microwave spectroradiometer intended for studying the Earth’s ozone layer is described. The device receives thermal radio-frequency emission of the stratospheric ozone at the frequency of its rotational transition (110 836 MHz) in a 240-MHz frequency band. The spectral resolution at the O3 line center is 1 MHz. The effective noise temperature of the uncooled receiver in the single-sideband mode is ∼2000 K. The ozonometer is equipped with a computer-aided data measurement, calibration, and preprocessing control system. The device is intended to obtain an ozone profile in a 20- to 60-km altitude interval within 15–20 min.