HALO Microwave Package next generation – W-Band Radar (HAMPng – WBR)

• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 531848900

In recent years, dual or multi-wavelength radar measurements have become the leading standard in active microwave remote sensing of clouds and precipitation. Scattering of hydrometeors at higher frequency in the W-band spectral range is determined by the Mie regime in contrast to Rayleigh scattering at commonly used Ka-band frequencies. The different radar returns at these frequencies provide additional information which help to constrain microphysical properties, hydrometeor phase and particle number concentration as well as to improve quantitative water con-tent estimates, in particular with respect to ice particles. These novel insights are urgently needed to evaluate the microphysical parametrization of next generation climate models at the kilometer-scale, but also for other research application like validation of upcoming global satellite missions. Throughout a series of very successful flight campaigns (e.g. the NARVAL expeditions, NAWDEX, EUREC4A, AC3) in the last decade, we have established the HALO aircraft equipped with the so-called NARVAL payload as airborne cloud remote sensing observatory. The HALO microwave package HAMP, consisting of a Ka-Band radar and passive microwave radiometers up 183 GHz, is a core instruments of this configuration. We aim at extending this existing instrumentation to the "HALO Microwave Package next generation - HAMPng" by adding sensing capabilities at additional frequency to enable novel microphysical retrievals in particular with respect to ice particles. We propose to acquire a W-band radar with Doppler capability which can be operated synergistically with the existing HAMP instruments and with a novel sub-millimeter microwave radiometer outlined in the partner proposal "HAMPng - Sub-Millimeter Radiometer".

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: HAMPng-WBR Radiometer
• Instrumentation Group: 6670 Radaranlagen (außer Distanzmesser 062 und Doppler-Radar 664 und 886)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Felix Ament
• Co-Investigators: Dr. Florian Ewald; Dr. Lutz Hirsch