What is the resistance of R1 ?

[toam]

For a class I'm doing I have an assignment where we have to do a report on a Space Science Instrument.

I am doing Cloud Profiling Radar.

Part of the report has to involve some calculations which basically just apply out knowledge of physics to the properties of the instrument.

The trouble is I don't really understand what some of the properties mean, and how the radar actually works.

The properties I have are listed here: http://cloudsat.atmos.colostate.edu/instrument/instrument.html

If anyone could explain some of these properties to me, that would be great.

 

[SpaceTiger]

For a class I'm doing I have an assignment where we have to do a report on a Space Science Instrument.

I am doing Cloud Profiling Radar.

Has this choice been approved by your teacher? Although it's satellite-based, the key science goals seem to be meteorological, not space-related.

If anyone could explain some of these properties to me, that would be great.

There's a lot there to be explained. Perhaps you could be more specific.

 

[quicknote]

Resistance, denoted by the symbol R, is a measure of how easily an electrical current can flow through a material. It is defined as the ratio of voltage (V) to current (I), or R = V/I. In the context of the Cloud Profiling Radar, R1 refers to the resistance of the instrument's receiver, which is responsible for detecting and amplifying the signals reflected back from the clouds.

As for the other properties listed on the website, here are some brief explanations:

1. Frequency: This refers to the rate at which the radar sends out and receives radio waves. The Cloud Profiling Radar operates at a frequency of 94 GHz, which is in the microwave range.

2. Power: This is the amount of energy that the radar transmits in the form of radio waves. The Cloud Profiling Radar has a peak power of 1.2 kW.

3. Antenna: This is the part of the radar that sends out and receives the radio waves. The Cloud Profiling Radar has a 2-meter diameter parabolic antenna.

4. Polarization: This describes the orientation of the radio waves as they are transmitted and received. The Cloud Profiling Radar uses horizontal polarization, meaning the waves are oriented parallel to the ground.

5. Receiver: This is the part of the radar that detects and amplifies the signals reflected back from the clouds. The Cloud Profiling Radar has two receivers, R1 and R2, which operate at different frequencies.

6. Range resolution: This refers to the ability of the radar to distinguish between different objects at different distances. The Cloud Profiling Radar has a range resolution of 500 meters.

7. Doppler resolution: This is the ability of the radar to measure the speed and direction of moving objects, such as clouds. The Cloud Profiling Radar has a Doppler resolution of 1.5 meters per second.

8. Sensitivity: This measures the minimum signal strength that the radar can detect. The Cloud Profiling Radar has a sensitivity of -30 dBZ, meaning it can detect signals with a strength of -30 decibels relative to a standard reference signal.

I hope this helps to clarify some of the properties of the Cloud Profiling Radar. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck with your assignment!