As part of a Europe-wide validation campaign, the measuring system was transported to the SPHINX research station on the Jungfraujoch. The IAP team was on the brink: would the sensitive optical components survive the flight and the harsh conditions at high altitude unscathed?
The initial analyses quickly confirmed this. All the optical components were functioning as before, and no further adjustment was necessary. “It was impressive to see and experience how the falling tension and rising euphoria following the successful installation energized the team. There are few moments when years of work actually hang on what feels like a very thin thread,” says Prof. Gerd Baumgarten, Head of the Optical and Rocket Soundings Department at the IAP.
The lidar had previously proven its reliability at the ALOMAR Observatory in northern Norway and at the Observatoire de Haute Provence in France. The Jungfraujoch, with its high altitude, extreme weather and challenging transport requirements, marked the highlight of the campaign.
In EULIAA, seven partners from academia and industry are working on a new generation of compact UV lidar systems. The system tested was developed in close collaboration between the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) and the IAP. Whilst the Fraunhofer ILT developed and designed the innovative UV lasers, the IAP built the measurement system itself.
EULIAA’s long-term goal is to establish a European network capable of continuously monitoring wind, temperature and aerosols up to an altitude of approximately 50 kilometres. The successful campaign on the Jungfraujoch represents an important milestone in this endeavour and, at the same time, demonstrates the contribution that high-tech innovation from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is making to European atmospheric research.
In the group picture above f.l.t.r.: Gerd Baumgarten (IAP), Dr. Michael Strotkamp (ILT), Thomas Furter (High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat), Dr. Jan Froh (IAP), Dr. Josef Höffner (IAP), Dr. Pablo Saavedra Garfias (IAP), Anne-Claire Billault-Roux (MeteoSwiss)