Imaging Infra-red Spectroscopy
CAIRT will be the first limb-sounder with imaging Fourier-transform infrared technology in space. CAIRT will measure limb radiances from 5 to 115 km altitude with a nominal horizontal sampling of about
Imaging Infra-red Spectroscopy
CAIRT will be the first limb-sounder with imaging Fourier-transform infrared technology in space. CAIRT will measure limb radiances from 5 to 115 km altitude with a nominal horizontal sampling of about 50 by 50 km (possible subsampling for selected science targets) and a vertical sampling of 1 km. The wavelength range will cover 720 cm-1 to 2200 cm-1 (4.5 µm to 14 µm) with a spectral resolution targeting 0.1 cm-1. With a targeted across-track coverage of 300-500 km, near-global coverage is achieved within about two days. Tomographic retrievals will provide temperature and trace gas profiles at a much higher horizontal resolution and coverage than achieved from space so far, enabling us to address new science questions. Flying in loose formation with the