Analisys of noise injection networks for interferometric radiometer calibration

Abstract: The spatial resolution of current space-borne Earth observation radiometers is limited by the physical antenna aperture. This is especially critical at L-band, which exhibits high sensitivity to soil moisture and sea surface salinity. Interferometric radiometers (InR's) are currently...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Corbella Sanahuja, Ignasi|||0000-0001-5598-7955, Camps Carmona, Adriano José|||0000-0002-9514-4992, Torres Torres, Francisco|||0000-0003-1160-6350, Bará Temes, Francisco Javier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2000
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/98362
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/98362
https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/22.842026
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Telecommunication
S-parameters
Radiometers
Radiowave interferometry
Remote sensing
Soil
Oceanographic techniques
Calibration
Telecomunicació
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria de la telecomunicació
Descripción
Sumario:Abstract: The spatial resolution of current space-borne Earth observation radiometers is limited by the physical antenna aperture. This is especially critical at L-band, which exhibits high sensitivity to soil moisture and sea surface salinity. Interferometric radiometers (InR's) are currently being studied by several space agencies as a feasible alternative to overcome this problem. However, their calibration is a crucial issue since most techniques inherited from radio astronomy cannot be directly applied. Due to the large number of receiving channels, calibration techniques based on centralized noise injection from a single noise source will require a large and stable distribution network, which is technically very complex and unacceptable from the point-of-view of mass and volume. Procedures based on distributed noise injection from a set of noise sources through smaller distribution networks have been recently proposed by the authors as an alternative to alleviate these technological problems. In this paper, the analysis of these networks, the impact of the noise generated by the network losses on the calibration, and the impact of front-end reradiated noise are analyzed. Finally, the optimum circuit topologies and tolerances to which these networks have to be characterized in order to achieve the required calibration are derived. These configurations are formed by cascading basic 1:2 and 1:3 isolated power splitters. Isolators at receiver inputs have to be included in order to minimize offsets originating from the correlation of reradiation of receiver noise. It has been found that, in order to satisfy the calibration requirements of InR's, the S-parameters of the ensemble noise-injection network plus isolators have to be known to within 0.025-0.050 dB in amplitude and 0.5/spl deg/ in phase, and their physical temperature known to within 0.5/spl deg/C.