Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-18-2024

Department

Department of Physics

Abstract

A THz radar, with its wide bandwidth, is capable of high-resolution imaging down to the centimeter scale. In this study, a THz radar is applied to detect hydrometeors generated in a spray chamber. The observed backscattering signals show fluctuations at centimeter scales, indicating various hydrometeor distribution patterns along the radar beam. A co-located High-Speed Imaging (HSI) sensor is used to measure the Drop Size Distributions (DSD) in the spray chamber. The radar sampling beam is well aligned with the HSI probes, allowing an objective comparison between the remote sensing and in situ observations. In this study, the observed radar power is compared with the power estimated from the HSI measurements. Results show great consistency, with power difference smaller than 0.5 dB. This study demonstrates the feasibility and great potential of using a THz radar for ultra-high-resolution observations of clouds in a laboratory facility, and in the real atmosphere.

Publisher's Statement

© 2024. The Author(s). Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109627

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Version

Publisher's PDF

Included in

Physics Commons

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