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ABSTRACT: Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) has been operated on orbit since late September 2009. The on-orbit performance of the SMILES submillimeter receiver satisfied the specifications and demonstrated a high capability of superconducting technology for atmospheric science by providing an invaluable low-noise atmospheric limb-emission spectral data in 640-GHz band. The accuracy of the limb spectral data are going to be improved by radiometric calibration based on the instrumental knowledge measured on the ground and measurements on orbit. The observation by SMILES was unfortunately halted because of a failure of the submillimeter-wave local oscillator on 21 April 2010.
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2010 IEEE International; 08/2010
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Journal of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology 01/2007;
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ABSTRACT: A balloon-borne superconducting submillimeter-wave limb-emission sounder (BSMILES) was developed to observe thermal emission lines from stratospheric minor constituents. BSMILES carries a 300-mm-diameter offset parabolic antenna, a 624-639-GHz superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) receiver, a three-axis fiber-optical gyroscope, and an acousto-optical spectrometer. BSMILES was launched from the Pacific Coast of Japan. All systems operated properly and emission line spectra of stratospheric gases, such as O<sub>3</sub>, HCl, HO<sub>2</sub>, and O<sub>3</sub> isotopes were measured. The system noise temperature in double sideband (DSB) during the flight was less than 460 K over the observing bandwidth with a best value of 330 K that is 11 times as large as the quantum limit (11hν/k<sub>B</sub>). After the observation, the gondola splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and was retrieved. Almost all instruments were waterproofed, and it has been proved that they are reusable.
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters 02/2006; · 1.56 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Stratospheric O<sub>3</sub> and ClO were simultaneously observed off the northeastern coast of Japan by the Balloon-Borne Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (BSMILES) developed at National Institute of Information and Communications Technology. BSMILES is a highly sensitive submillimeter radiometer that exploits the superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) technology for atmospheric research. This paper presents the first BSMILES spectra, and describes the details of the calibration process. The vertical profiles of O<sub>3</sub> and ClO have been also retrieved. In spite of some calibration uncertainties the obtained profiles are in relatively good agreement with previous and other available measurements.
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 07/2005; · 2.89 Impact Factor
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H. Masuko,
T. Manabe,
M. Seta,
Y. Kasai,
S. Ochiai, Y. Irimajiri,
J. Inatani,
N. Ikeda,
T. Nishibori,
H. Ozeki,
R. Sato,
Y. Fujii,
T. Nakajima,
H. Watanabe,
K. Kikuchi,
M. Koyama
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ABSTRACT: Trace gases such as ClO, BrO, HO<sub>2</sub>, etc. in the
stratosphere play important roles in the depletion of the ozone layer.
Ozone, water vapor, and the trace gases in the upper troposphere are
closely coupled with the radiation forces and climate change. Emission
spectroscopy using a low-noise heterodyne technique in the short- to
submillimeter-wave range is an effective method to remotely measure the
trace gases. The spaceborne limb emission sounder can globally observe
the 3D distributions of the trace gases. In order to develop and
demonstrate an ultra-high sensitive detection technique of the trace
gases, the authors are providing an experiment of a Superconducting
Submillimeter-wave Limb Emission Sounder (SMILES) on the Exposed
Facilities (EF) of the Japanese Experimental Module (JEM) of
International Space Station (ISS). They have started Phase C/D Study of
the JEM/SMILES from 1997. The JEM/SMILES will be operated at 640
GHz-band with 11-13 GHz IF frequencies. Superconductor-Insulator-
Superconductor (SIS) mixers will be used for the ultra-high sensitive
receiver. A compact 4K refrigerator for space use will achieve the
operation conditions for the SIS receiver. In this experiment, the
authors are also aiming to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
submillimeter-wave limb emission spectrometry in observing the
atmospheric environment from space. The launch of JEM/SMILES is
scheduled in 2005. JEM/SMILES is a pre-phase of SMILES for an
Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Mission proposed in Japan
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2000. Proceedings. IGARSS 2000. IEEE 2000 International; 02/2000
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ABSTRACT: The bandwidth performance of distributed junction arrays is
investigated in this paper. Firstly, the mixing behavior of distributed
junction arrays is numerically analyzed with the help of an equivalent
circuit model. Secondly, the mixing performances of two respective
distributed junction arrays using five and ten junctions are measured.
Experimental results are discussed in detail
IEEE Transactions on Appiled Superconductivity 07/1999; · 1.04 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The heterodyne mixing performance of three respective distributed
junction arrays, i.e., a number of
superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions distributed
along a thin-film transmission line involving two, five, and ten
junctions are measured and compared to their Fourier transform
spectroscopy (FTS) detection responses. It has been found that
distributed junction arrays have a rather large bandwidth in comparison
to conventional SIS junction devices, while still keeping a
quantum-limited noise performance. Detailed experimental results are
presented
IEEE Microwave and Guided Wave Letters 12/1998;
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ABSTRACT: A ground based millimeter-wave radiometer has been developed at
the Communications Research Laboratory (CRL), Japan. In the spring of
1994 200 and 270 GHz SIS receivers are installed in a transportable
cabin with a 60 cm diameter antenna on the roof. The radiometer system
will be tested at CRL, Tokyo this year. After tuning the system at CRL
it will be moved to suitable sites for upper atmospheric observation in
Japan and utilized for operational observation of ClO and other
stratospheric and mesospheric constituents. Plans exist to make
observations in polar regions
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 1994. IGARSS '94. Surface and Atmospheric Remote Sensing: Technologies, Data Analysis and Interpretation., International; 09/1994
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M. Seta,
H. Masuko,
T. Manabe,
S. Ochiai, Y. Irimajiri,
J. Inatani,
H. Harada,
T. Noguchi,
S.-C. Shi,
K. Narasaki,
Y. Abe
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ABSTRACT: A 640-GHz heterodyne superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) receiver will be installed in Superconducting Submillimeter-wave Limb Emission Sounder (SMILES) on the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station. SMILES will simultaneously detect twelve emission lines of stratospheric molecules in the limb sounding method. The SIS receiver is operating in single sideband (SSB) mode, and we employ a new type of Martin-Puplett interferometer consisting of two sets of a wire grid and a flat mirror for the SSB filter. The SIS mixers and intermediate-frequency low noise amplifiers will be cooled to 4.5 K and 20 K, respectively, by a Stirling refrigerator combined with a Joule-Thomson circuit used for the first time in space.
Advances in Space Research.
