Instrumentation For Measurements Of Solar Irradiance And Atmospheric Optical Properties

Richard C. Willson

doi:10.1117/12.978099

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16 March 1976 Instrumentation For Measurements Of Solar Irradiance And Atmospheric Optical Properties

Richard C. Willson

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Proceedings Volume 0068, Optics in Solar Energy Utilization I; (1976) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.978099
Event: 19th Annual Technical Symposium, 1975, San Diego, United States

Abstract

The Active Cavity Radiometer (ACR), an accurate absolute pyrheliometer, has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for measurements of total solar irradience. They have been used to discover a -2.2% error in the International Pyrheliometric Scale and to make measurements in balloon flight experiments yielding a solar constant value of 136.6 (±0.7) mw/cm2. New ACR's are being developed to monitor the total output of solar optical radiation in balloon, satellite and space shuttle experiments with longterm absolute uncertainty of ±0.1% or less. In a separate program, instrumentation for the measurement of the scattering and extinction of solar radiation by the atmosphere is being constructed to provide data for modeling atmospheric aerosol content. The aerosol models will facilitate computation of radiative transfer effects yielding quantitative net fluxes useful in evaluating the climatological impact of aerosols.

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Richard C. Willson "Instrumentation For Measurements Of Solar Irradiance And Atmospheric Optical Properties", Proc. SPIE 0068, Optics in Solar Energy Utilization I, (16 March 1976); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.978099

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