Validation of the radiation pattern of the VHF MST radar MAARSY by scattering off a sounding rocket's payload

[摘要] The Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) is a monostatic radar withan active phased array antenna designed for studies of phenomena in themesosphere and lower thermosphere. Its design, in particular the flexiblebeam forming and steering capability, makes it a powerful instrument toperform observations with high angular and temporal resolution. For theconfiguration and analysis of experiments carried out with the radar it isessential to have knowledge of the actual radiation pattern. Therefore,during the time since the radar was put into operation various active andpassive experiments have been performed to gain knowledge of the radiationpattern. With these experiments the beam pointing accuracy, the beam widthand phase distribution of the antenna array were investigated. Here, the useof a sounding rocket and its payload as a radar target is described which waslaunched in the proximity of the radar. The analysis of these observationsallows the detailed investigation of the two-way radiation pattern fordifferent antenna array sizes and beam pointing positions.

[学科分类] 电子、光学、磁材料