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 1 431-455Subject Categories
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Geophysics
DOI
10.5194/acp-20-431-2020