The optical spectrograph and infrared imager system (OSIRIS) on board the Odin spacecraft is designed to retrieve altitude profiles of terrestrial atmospheric minor species by observing limb-radiance profiles. The grating optical spectrograph (OS) obtains spectra of scattered sunlight over the range 280-800 nm with a spectral resolution of approximately 1 nm. The Odin spacecraft performs a repetitive vertical limb scan to sweep the OS 1 km vertical field of view over selected altitude ranges from approximately 10 to 100 km. The terrestrial absorption features that are superimposed on the scattered solar spectrum are monitored to derive the minor species altitude profiles. The spectrograph also detects the airglow, which can be used to study the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The other part of OSIRIS is a three-channel infrared imager (IRI) that uses linear array detectors to image the vertical limb radiance over an altitude range of approximately 100 km. The IRI observes both scattered sunlight and the airglow emissions from the oxygen infrared atmospheric band at 1.27 µm and the OH (3-1) Meinel band at 1.53 µm. A tomographic inversion technique is used with a series of these vertical images to derive the two-dimensional distribution of the emissions within the orbit plane.Résumé : Le système de spectrographie optique et d'imagerie infrarouge (OSIRIS) à bord du satellite Odin est conçu pour enregistrer les profils en altitude des éléments mineurs de l'atmosphère en observant les profils de radiance du limbe. Le spectrographe optique à réseau (OS) obtient les spectres de la lumière solaire diffusée sur le domaine entre 280-800 nm, avec une résolution spatiale approximative de 1 nm. Le satellite Odin balaye verticalement le limbe de façon répétée, de telle sorte que l'ouverture verticale de 1 km du OS parcoure les domaines voulus entre 10 et 100 km. Nous analysons les spectres solaires diffusés en superposition avec les caractéristiques terrestres d'absorption, afin de déterminer les profils en altitude des éléments mineurs de l'atmosphère. Le spectrographe détecte aussi la luminescence nocturne atmosphérique qui peut être utilisé pour étudier la mésosphère et la thermosphère. L'autre partie d'OSIRIS est un imageur infrarouge (IRI) à trois canaux qui utilise une banque linéaire de détecteurs pour imager la radiance du limbe sur un domaine d'altitude d'approximativement 100 km. L'IRI observe à la fois la lumière solaire diffusée et les émissions de luminescence nocturne atmospérique provenant de la bande infrarouge de l'oxygène atmosphérique à 1.27 µm et la bande de Meinel de l'OH (3-1) à 1.53 µm. Nous utilisons une technique d'inversion tomographique avec une série de ces images verticales pour obtenir la distribution bidimensionnelle des émissions à l'intérieur de l'orbite.[Traduit par la Rédaction] Can.

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Abstract. We present a technique for estimating the optical thickness of subvisual cirrus clouds detected by OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System), a limbviewing satellite instrument that measures scattered radiances from the UV to the near-IR. The measurement set is composed of a ratio of limb radiance profiles at two wavelengths that indicates the presence of cloud-scattering regions. Cross-sections and phase functions from an in situ database are used to simulate scattering by cloud-particles. With appropriate configurations discussed in this paper, the SASKTRAN successive-orders of scatter radiative transfer model is able to simulate accurately the in-cloud radiances from OSIRIS. Configured in this way, the model is used with a multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART) to retrieve the cloud extinction profile for an assumed effective cloud particle size. The sensitivity of these retrievals to key auxiliary model parameters is shown, and it is shown that the retrieved extinction profile, for an assumed effective cloud particle size, models well the measured in-cloud radiances from OSIRIS. The greatest sensitivity of the retrieved optical thickness is to the effective cloud particle size. Since OSIRIS has an 11-yr record of subvisual cirrus cloud detections, the work described in this manuscript provides a very useful method for providing a long-term global record of the properties of these clouds.

We present a technique for retrieving the optical properties of subvisual cirrus clouds detected by OSIRIS, a limb-viewing satellite instrument that measures scattered radiances from the UV to the near-IR. The measurement set is composed of a ratio of limb radiance profiles at two wavelengths that indicates the presence of cloud-scattering regions. Optical properties from an in-situ database are used to simulate scattering by cloud-particles. With appropriate configurations discussed in this paper, the SASKTRAN successive-orders of scatter radiative transfer model is able to simulate accurately the in-cloud radiances from OSIRIS. Configured in this way, the model is used with a multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART) to retrieve the cloud extinction profile for an assumed effective cloud particle size. The sensitivity of these retrievals to key auxiliary model parameters is shown, and it is demonstrated that the retrieved extinction profile models accurately the measured in-cloud radiances from OSIRIS. Since OSIRIS has an 11-yr record of subvisual cirrus cloud detections, the work described in this manuscript provides a very useful method for providing a long-term global record of the properties of these clouds