Доклади на Българската академия на науките

Comptes rendus de l’Académie bulgare des Sciences

Tome 67, No 3, 2014

EXPLORATIONS COSMIQUES

SATELLITE SPECTROPHOTOMETER
FOR RESEARCH OF THE ATMOSPHERIC OZONE
Petar Getzov, Garo Mardirossian, Stiliyan Stoyanov

(Submitted by Corresponding Member Ph. Philipov on December 6, 2013)

Abstract

The measurement of atmospheric ozone and its influence upon climate and
life on Earth is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues of present time.
A mathematical model of an optical tract of a spectrophotometer has been
designed.
The paper presents the functional scheme of a satellite optoelectronic
spectrophotometer for measuring the total content of atmospheric ozone and
other gas components of the atmosphere, which has increased precision, smaller
weight and energy consumption, increased space and time resolution, quickness
of reaction and increased volume of useful information.
The object of the paper is the design of an appliance which ensures research
of ozone content in atmosphere from the board of a satellite.
Key words: optical tract, spectrophotometer

Introduction. The research of gas content of the Earth atmosphere by

means of different methods has been performed during the last few decades. The
interest in this problem has greatly increased because of the following facts:

• the anthropogenic influence on gases and aerosols in atmosphere has signif-

icantly increased;

• the different physical mechanisms which influence the change in gas and
aerosol content of the atmosphere, thus having an impact over different
characteristics of the environment, and more specifically, over the weather
and climate on Earth, are becoming clearer.

403
 In earlier times, special attention was paid to the concentration growth of
carbon oxide, but now the contemporary trends show that the increase of other
small gas content such as O3 , CH4 , CO, N2 O, freons, etc. may in the near future
induce a considerable total influence on Earth climate, rather than the concen-
tration growth of carbon oxide.
The most dramatic example of regional change of the gas content of the at-
mosphere is the Antarctic ozone hole – a phenomenon which has been widely
discussed and researched by specialists from different countries and which is con-
nected with direct or indirect influence of anthropogenic factors. According to
predictions, in the next 10 to 50 years, the ice around the Pole will melt during
the summer season.
The determination of the spectra and ionization of anomalous cosmic rays in
the polar atmosphere is discussed, as well as the ionization of solar cosmic rays
in ionosphere and middle atmosphere, simulated by CORIMIA program [14, 15 ].
Mathematical method of the optical tract of the spectrophotome-
ter. The fundamental principle of work in optic-electronic devices is based on the
fact that the controlled value causes alteration of the distribution of brightness in
the area of the device analysis, or a shift of the light spot towards the analyser,
altering the corresponding image of the signal at the exit of the photoreceiver
(one or a few) and in this situation this signal form is defined by the distribution
of brightness and the type of the analyser [11 ]. Therefore, when designing an
optic-electronic device, one of the main tasks when calculating the optic system
is the determination of this distribution.
When solving a greater part of the practical tasks for the distribution of
brightness, it is a good idea to use diffraction magnification, the correctness and
the use of which are defined by the Rayleigh Criterion [3, 12 ]. This is based on the
fact that the monochromatic aberrations are only few in the devices with a small
number of openings. Besides, the contemporary optical-electronic devices have
optic elements the optical characteristics of which are similar to the diffraction
ones. With such characteristics of the optical system and the light diameters of
the elements, they play a significant role when forming the information signal at
the exit of the photoreceiver of the optical-electronic device [6, 7, 9, 10, 13 ].
In the diffraction zoom, the distribution of brightness can be obtained with
the help of the Huygens-Fresnel principle which is an integral transformation over
a certain distribution of complex amplitudes, set in a certain complex amplitudes
distribution, and is positioned in a certain initial plain, which allows the structure
definition in the sun field in a random plain [5 ]. The proportions are:
π
L3  (xmax − ξmax )2 + (ymax − ηmax )2 ,

(1)
λ
where L is the distance between the above mentioned plains, λ is the wave length
of the radiation and ξmax , ηmax , xmax , ymax are the characteristic sizes of the
initial and formed distribution.

404 P. Getzov, G. Mardirossian, S. Stoyanov

 The Huygens-Fressel integral looks like (see [4 ])
ZZ  
ik ik 
(x − ξ)2 + (y − η)2

(2) U (x, y) = U0 (ξ, η) exp − dξdη,
2L 2L
s

where U0 (ξ, η) and U (x, y) are the complex amplitude distribution in the initial
and analyzed plains, ξ, η and x, y are the coordinates in the initial and ana-
lyzed plains, S is the part of the initial plain in which the complex amplitude
distribution is set, k = 2π/λ is the wave number.
In order to take into account the influence of the diaphragm and the light
sizes of the optical elements which play a huge role in the image formation, inte-
gration (2) is necessary to be performed by the optical parameters through the
method of Gauss diaphragms [5, 13 ]. It means to equal the non-aberration lens
with focal distance f and the light radius R with a function of amplitude perme-
ability in Gaussian law. Such a definition of the function of the optical elements
permeability allows the consideration of the light diameter, the linear movements
δx , δy towards the optical axis and the angles αx , αy at which the beam axis is
changed after they pass the optical elements. Such permeability function has the
form
(x − δx )2 + (y − δy )2
  
(3) T (x, y) = exp iK + αx x + αy y ,
2F
1 1 i
where = − T (x, y), and can be considered as a permeability function
F f KR2
of a generalized optical element because when f → ∞, αx = αy = 0, formula (3)
means permeability through diaphragm of radius R and a centre moved at vector
(δx , δy ) from the optical axis and at |F | → ∞ – permeability through an attenuant.
The propagation of radiation by means of an optical system can be described
as consecutive transformation of complex amplitudes distribution multiplied by
the permeability function of the optical element [1, 2, 8 ]. After a certain number of
optical elements is surpassed, the function of the points scattering h(x, ξ) will be
Gaussian function and therefore for the brightness distribution gets the formula
(see [1 ])
iK n/2

 
2π iK det(Bij )
(4) h(x, ξ) = p exp − ,
d1 d2 · · · dn det(Aij ) 2 det(Aij )

where det(Bij ) and det(Aij ) are the following determinants

 
 l1
 −b1 0 c1 − x 
 −1 l2 0 c2 
(5) det(Bij ) =  0 dn  ,
 
 0 ln cn − ξ dn+1 
c1 − dx c2 cn − dξn
 
n
0 

Compt. rend. Acad. bulg. Sci., 67, No 3, 2014 405

  
 l1 −b1 0 0 

−1 l2 0 0 
(6) det(Aij ) =  ,
0 0 ln−1 bn−1 
0 0 −1 ln 
 
1 1 1 dj δj
where lj = dj + − , bj = , cj = αj − , j = 1, 2, . . . , n, dj
dj dj+1 Fj dj+1 F
is the distance on the optical axis between the first and the j-th element, αj is
the angle, at which the j-th element moves the axis beam, δj is the shift of the
optical element, x and ξ are the coordinates in the initial and analyzed plain, n
1 1 i
is the number of optical elements in the optical tract, = − .
Fi fi kRj2
Formula (4) is nonhomogeneous quadratic form of the variables x and ξ

iK det(Bij ) a11 x2 + 2a21 xξ + a22 ξ 2 + 2m1 x + 3m2 ξ

(7) = .
2 det(Aij ) det(Aij )

The coefficients of this form aij and mj , i, j = 1, 2, are calculated by differentia-

tion of det(Aij ) with respect to x and ξ:

∂2 
a11 = [det(B )] x=0 ,

2 ij
∂x  ξ=0
 
2∆n 1
m1 = (−1)n+1 , m2 = (∆n + dn∆n).
d1 dn+1

When the function of point scattering is known, it is not difficult to find the
light scattering. The given formulas allow modelling the operation of the optical-
electronic device, numerous calculations (for different random points), the passing
of the radiation through the optical tract and every time the shift of position of
the optical elements or parameters of the sun radiation are noted.
Principal scheme of the spectrophotometer. The change of gas content
and the possible consequences of this change stimulate the creating and func-
tioning of different observation systems for control of gas content of the Earth
atmosphere [16, 17 ].
The problem is solved by inventing an optoelectronic spectrophotometer for
research of total content of atmospheric ozone which has spectral, electronic and
photometric channel with greater precision, lighter weight and energy consump-
tion, greater space and time resolution, quick response, better reliability and
increased volume of the useful information.
An example is shown in Fig. 1, which is a block scheme of optoelectronic
spectrophotometer for research of total content of atmospheric ozone and other
small gases in atmosphere.

406 P. Getzov, G. Mardirossian, S. Stoyanov

Fig. 1. Optoelectronic spectrophotometer for research of total content of atmospheric ozone and
other gases in atmosphere

According to Fig. 1, the opto-electronic spectrophotometer for research of

small gas content in atmosphere consists of light-protective blend 1 which is sit-
uated in front of a plane scanning mirror 2 with mounted etalon source 3 in it,
which serve the photometric and spectrometric channel and they are inlet scan-
ning system, controlled by step electro-engine 22, which by means of gear 23 is
mechanically connected with scanning mirror 2 and electronically connected with
photoelectric transformer angle-code 24 for feedback.
A concave mirror 5 is mounted in front of the plane mirror 2 on the same
optical axis, and a reflective prism 4 is fixed between them which guides part of
the optical system towards the spectrometric tract and another part of it towards
the photometric tract of the spectrophotometer. The concave mirror 5 from the
spectrometric tract is optically connected with plane mirror 6 which goes through
inlet hole 7 and by means of concave mirror 8 – with diffraction grating 9, which
is mounted on a flexible carrier 10 and from it through camera lens 11 and outlet
hole 12 with sensor 13.
Reflective prism 4 is optically connected with the photometric tract and
through plane mirror 14, objective 15, interference filter 16 and optical lens 17
with sensor 18. The sensors 13 and 18 correspondingly from the spectrometric and
photometric tract are connected with microprocessor system 19 through analogue-
digital transformers 20 and 21, respectively.

Compt. rend. Acad. bulg. Sci., 67, No 3, 2014 407

 The step electro engine 25 is connected mechanically by means of a mechani-
cal block 26 with carrier 10 of diffraction grating 9 and photoelectrical transformer
angle-code 27 is electrically connected with electro engine 25.
How the spectrophotometer works. Plane scanning mirror 2, which is
moved by step electric engine 22 and gear 23 perform scanning at angle β = ±45◦
which is regulated by the reverse connection, done by photoelectric transformer
angle-code 24. The optical signal, reflected by concave mirror 5 and plane mir-
ror 6 through entrance whole 7, goes to concave mirror 8 and from there parallel
beams go to diffraction grating 9 which is mounted on carrier 10. The monochro-
matic signal from diffraction grating 9 goes through camera objective 11 and
exit whole 12 and reaches sensor 13. The electrical signal from sensor exit 13 is
transformed into digital type in analogue-digital transformer 20 and is sent into 8-
order binary code for transformation in microprocessor 19. The gradual scanning
of diffraction grating 9 which is mounted on the carrier 10 is done by mechanical
block 26 which is coupled with step electrical engine 25 and the reverse connection
for the position of diffraction grating 9 is done by the photoelectrical transformer
angle-code 27.
Part of the optical system from reflecting prism 5 goes to the photometric
channel and is reflected by plane 14 and from objective 14 goes to interference
filter 16. From there, the monochromatic optical signal through lens 17 is focused
on sensor 18. The electrical signal which is obtained in the sensor, is passed
towards analogue-digital transformer and goes to microprocessor system 19 in
the form of 8-order binary code.
The inside calibration of the spectrophotometric and photometric channel
is performed at closed light-protecting blend 2 and thus the signal of the etalon
calibrating source 3 is registered as minimal border sensitivity of the device. The
external calibration of the spectrophotometer is performed by rotation of the en-
trance scanning system at 180◦ from the basic position (0◦ ), i.e. in the direction
of the sun discus. The functional scheme allows the researched spectral range
to be scanned continually or discretely without changing the starting regime of
diffraction grating 9 and by selective permission for transmittance of electrical
system as a function of its momentary angle position which is read by photoelec-
tric transformer angle-code 27.
The measuring process and the registration are completely automated. Fig-
ure 2 presents the spectrophotometer for research of total content of atmospheric
ozone.
Conclusion. A satellite optoelectronic spectrophotometer for research of
total content of atmospheric ozone and other gases in atmosphere has been devel-
oped. It has greater precision, smaller weight and energy use, as well as increased
space and time resolution, quick response, better reliability and larger volume of
useful information. It is copyrighted by Patent BG 657007B1 [15 ] by the Patent
Authority of Republic of Bulgaria.

408 P. Getzov, G. Mardirossian, S. Stoyanov

 Fig. 2. Satellite optoelectronic spectrophotometer for research of total content of
atmospheric ozone

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Space Research and Technologies Institute

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 1
1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
e-mail: [email protected]

410 P. Getzov, G. Mardirossian, S. Stoyanov