The CloudSat Radar and Implications for ALMA Abstract
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ALMA Memo # 504
The CloudSat Radar and Implications for ALMA
ALMA North American Technical Advisory Committee
(ANATAC)
submitted by Darrel Emerson (NRAO)
2004-08-23
Keywords: CloudSat, Satellite, Radar
CloudSat is a downward-looking 94 GHz satellite-borne radar, due for launch in April 2005. The peak EIRP of the radar beam is some 4.109 watts, which is sufficient to damage ALMA receivers on the ground if ALMA antennas and the orbiting radar ever look directly at each other. Although the likelihood of this happening is very small, ALMA does need to take some operational precautions to avoid receiver damage, and to flag data that will be contaminated by radar interference.
View a pdf version of ALMA Memo #504.
