Title: The Vapor/Ice Profiling Radar
Presenting Author: Matthew Lebsock
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Co-Author(s): Ken Cooper, Luis Millan, Raquel Monje, Jose Siles, Theodore Reck, Bob Dengler, Steve Dinardo

Abstract:
Existing remote sensing techniques struggle to observe water vapor within clouds and storms. This measurement gap leaves key questions on the cycling of water though storms and the lifetime of clouds unanswered. To address the gap we are developing a first-of-a-kind differential absorption radar for water vapor sounding within cloud. The instrument named VIPR (Vapor/Ice Profiling Radar) will simultaneously observe cloud ice water content and water vapor content by using radar reflectivity from several frequencies on the 183 GHZ water vapor absorption line using a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) architecture. VIPR will utilize an all-solid-state transceiver based on state-of-the-art semiconductor amplifier and frequency-multiplier/mixer technology to achieve a transmit power approaching 1 W and a receiver noise figure better than 8 dB. VIPR will be operated from an airborne platform and its measurements will be validated against coincident weather balloon launches. Over the course of this development and demonstration project the system TRL will rise from 3 to 6.