European Facility For Airborne Research

WIND sounds the atmosphere with a 10µm laser beam. The laser beam is transmitted through a bottom window and conically scanned (3 rds/min). The laser light is scattered by micron-size aerosol particles. The light scattered back to the instrument is captured, detected, and analysed. For detection, a hetrodyne technique is used which consists in mixing the received light wave with a continuous wave "local oscillator" laser. The radio-frequency beating pattern is digitized and processed. The processing determines the frequency shift between the outgoing and the received light, which is proportional to the line-of-sight wind component accoding to Dopplers equation. The power of the detected signals also give an information on the reflectivity of the sounded atmospheric volumes. The radial winds and reflectivities measured along one to several conical scans are combined to produce horizontal wind and reflectivity profiles. The profiles extend from the surface to the aircraft altitude.

Not applicable. WIND is a research instrument built by research labs.

Fly on DLR Falcon 20 exclusively.
The max flight level is 11km.
Needs qualified operator.

Liquid nitrogen for cooling IR detectors

Certified for DLR Falcon 20

WIND sounds the atmosphere with a 10µm laser beam. The laser beam is transmitted through a bottom window and conically scanned (3 rds/min). The laser light is scattered by micron-size aerosol particles. The light scattered back to the instrument is captured, detected, and analysed. For detection, a heterodyne technique is used which consists in mixing the received light wave with a continuous wave "local oscillator" laser. The radio-frequency beating pattern is digitized and processed. The processing determines the frequency shift between the outgoing and the received light, which is proportional to the line-of-sight wind component according to Doppler's equation. The power of the detected signals also give an information on the reflectivity of the sounded atmospheric volumes. The radial winds and reflectivities measured along one to several conical scans are combined to produce horizontal wind and reflectivity profiles. The profiles extend from the surface to the aircraft altitude.