The MATS satellite mission - gravity wave studies by Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy
Journal article, 2020

Global three-dimensional data are a key to understanding gravity waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. MATS (Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy) is a new Swedish satellite mission that addresses this need. It applies space-borne limb imaging in combination with tomographic and spectroscopic analysis to obtain gravity wave data on relevant spatial scales. Primary measurement targets are O-2 atmospheric band dayglow and nightglow in the near infrared, and sunlight scattered from noctilucent clouds in the ultraviolet. While tomography provides horizontally and vertically resolved data, spectroscopy allows analysis in terms of mesospheric temperature, composition, and cloud properties. Based on these dynamical tracers, MATS will produce a climatology on wave spectra during a 2-year mission. Major scientific objectives include a characterization of gravity waves and their interaction with larger-scale waves and mean flow in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, as well as their relationship to dynamical conditions in the lower and upper atmosphere. MATS is currently being prepared to be ready for a launch in 2020. This paper provides an overview of scientific goals, measurement concepts, instruments, and analysis ideas.

Author

Jorg Gumbel

Stockholm University

Linda Megner

Stockholm University

Ole Martin Christensen

Stockholm University

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing

Nickolay Ivchenko

South African National Space Agency

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Donal Murtagh

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing

Seunghyuk Chang

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

Joachim Dillner

Stockholm University

Terese Ekebrand

Omnisys Instruments

Gabriel Giono

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Arvid Hammar

Omnisys Instruments

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory

Jonas Hedin

Stockholm University

Bodil Karlsson

Stockholm University

Mikael Krus

Omnisys Instruments

Anqi Li

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing

Steven McCallion

Omnisys Instruments

Georgi Olentsenko

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Soojong Pak

Kyung Hee University

Woojin Park

Kyung Hee University

Jordan Rouse

Omnisys Instruments

Jacek Stegman

Stockholm University

Georg Witt

Stockholm University

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

1680-7316 (ISSN) 1680-7324 (eISSN)

Vol. 20 1 431-455

Subject Categories

Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

Geophysics

DOI

10.5194/acp-20-431-2020

More information

Latest update

10/9/2023