A W-band comet-jet Doppler radar prototype

Conference paper (2018)

Authors

K.B. Cooper California Institute of Technology
Raquel Rodriguez Monje California Institute of Technology
M. Alonso Del Pino California Institute of Technology
Robert J. Dengler California Institute of Technology
Corey J. Cochrane California Institute of Technology
Stephen L. Durden California Institute of Technology
Adrian Tang California Institute of Technology
Mathieu Choukroun California Institute of Technology
Affiliation
External organisation
Doppler radar Millimeter-wave radar
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Published Date

08-06-2018

Language

English

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External organisation

Abstract

A 95 GHz Doppler radar prototype has been developed with a design guided by requirements for potential space flight missions to comets or icy moons of the outer planets in order to probe ice- and dust-filled jets and plumes. The radar operates in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) mode with a bandwidth, pulse repetition interval, and coherent integration time chosen to achieve better than 10 m range resolution, 0.1 m/s velocity resolution, 5.1 km maximum unambiguous range, and 46 m/s maximum unambiguous velocity span. With an ultra-high transmit/receive isolation exceeding 85 dB, the radar operates with thermal-noise-limited sensitivity even with 1 Watt of continuous transmit power and a 540 K noise-temperature receiver sharing a single, 15 cm diameter monostatic aperture. Experimental testing has verified the radar's range-Doppler remote sensing capabilities using a developing rain shower as a dynamic and distributed target.