An improved condensation nucleus counter (CNC) for use in the stratosphere is described. The University of Minnesota CNC (UMCNC) has a sequential saturator and condenser and uses n-butyl alcohol as the working fluid. The use of a coaxial saturator flow, with aerosol in the center and filtered, alcohol-laden air around it, speeds the response of this instrument and improves its stability as pressure changes. The counting efficiency has been studied as a function of particle size and pressure. The UMCNC provides an accurate measure of submicron aerosol concentration as long as the number distribution is not dominated by sub 0.02 #m diameter aerosol. The response of the UMCNC is compared with that of other stratospheric condensation nucleus counters, and the results of a (near) comparison with a balloon-borne condensation nucleus counter are presented. The UMCNC has operated 14 times on a NASA U-2 aircraft at altitudes from 8 to 21.5 km.
Infrared(IR) guided heat-seeking missiles uses IR emissions from aircraft to detect and track a target. Due to passive characteristic of the IR guidance, early detection of the missile is difficult and it is significant threat to aircraft survivability. Therefore, IR signature prediction of the aircraft is an important aspect of the stealth technology. In this study, we simulated IR signature of the aircraft in real atmospheric conditions. Aircraft surface temperature distribution was calculated by using RadthermIR code. Based on temperature distribution, IR radiance and BRDF(Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) image were simulated for different weather(seasonal) and background(sky/soil) conditions. The IR contrast tendencies are not aligned with surface temperature or magnitude of target IR radiance. Therefore, it is essential to simulate IR signature with various conditions and background to acquire reliable database.
Stealth technology of combat aircraft is most significant capability in recent air battlefield. As the detector of IR missiles is being developed, IR stealth capability which is evaluated by IR signature level become more important than it was in previous generation. Among IR signature of aircraft from various sources, aerodynamic heating dominates in long-wavelength IR spectrum of 8~12μm. Skin temperature change by aerodynamic heating which is derived by effects of Mach number and structure. The 4th and 5th generation aircraft are selected for calculation of the skin temperature, and its height and velocity in numerical conditions are 10,000 m and Ma 0.9~1.9 respectively. Aircraft skin temperature is calculated by computing convection of fluid and conduction, convection and radiation of surface. As the aircraft accelerates to higher Mach number, maximum skin temperature increases more rapidly than average temperature and temperature distribution changes in more sharp, interactive ways. The 4th generation aircraft whose shape is more complex than that of the 5th generation aircraft have complicated temperature distribution. On the other hand, the 5th generation aircraft whose shape is relatively simple shows plain temperature distribution and lower skin temperature in terms of both average and maximum value.
Measurements of sub‐2.5 µm aerosol concentration were made from a NASA U‐2 aircraft by several experimenters before and after the eruptions of El Chichon in March and April of 1982. Concentrations of sub‐2.5 µm diameter particles encountered between 19.6 and 21.6 km altitude were nearly uniform over large distances in regions thought to be unaffected by El Chichon. Comparisons of measurements made with three instruments suggest that particles smaller than .1 µm in diameter contributed significantly to the number distribution of these non‐El Chichon aerosols. Measurements of large concentrations of sub 0.1 µm particles in April and May 1982 imply that new particle formation occured following the eruption. Measurements made in November and December of 1982 showed decreased numbers of sub‐0.1 µm particles compared to the non‐El Chichon measurements. Simultaneous measurements of SO2 and aerosol volume concentrations made on the lower edge of the volcanic cloud two weeks after the eruption permitted a range of SO2 conversion rates to be estimated.
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