KPR is a compact Ka-band Probe Radar and Radiometer for measuring vertical profiles of reflectivity and Doppler velocity. Key features of the instrument are: a pair of flat-plate array antennas pointing in the zenith and nadir directions, 10 W peak power solid state transmitter amplifier and a low-loss switch network. KPR includes an integrated noise source and ambient load for sky brightness temperature measurements and radiometric calibration of its receiver. The instrument is packaged to install in a standard (6″ ID x 24″ L) PMS probe canister.
Ka-Band Probe Radar (KPR)
Example Data
(Click on image to see it in high resolution.)
KPR combined short pulse – chirped long pulse reflectivity (top), Doppler velocity (middle – uncorrected for aircraft motion) and Doppler velocity spectrum width (bottom – uncorrected for aircraft motion induced spectrum width bias) images collected on September 4, 2016 near Laramie Wyoming from the Univ. of Wyoming King Air research aircraft. The aircraft was flying approximately 3 km above ground and 2 km above the melting layer, while collecting data using alternating pulse pairs from the zenith and nadir pointing antennas at 30 m range resolution.
KPR Publications
Pazmany, A.L. and S.J. Haimov, 2018: “Coherent Power Measurements with a Compact Airborne Ka-Band Precipitation Radar.” J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 35, 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-17-0058.1.
A. L. Pazmany and J. B. Mead: “Millimeter-wave solid-state cloud and precipitation radars and signal processing,” 2018 IEEE Radar Conference (RadarConf18), Oklahoma City, OK, 2018, pp. 0104-0109. https://doi:10.1109/RADAR.2018.8378539
KPR is packaged to operate from a custom wired, but mechanically standard PMS probe canister.
