We experienced another snow and cloud-filled day at PEARL and 0PAL. In lieu of measurements, Debora wrote a program adapting the existing Linefit program for PARIS HBr cell measurements. This will enable her to examine PARIS' Instrument Line Shape. Dan worked on the website and reports. Joseph assisted Xiaoyi in the PEARL UV-Vis lab by performing resolution tests for the UT-GBS. Xiaoyi continued work on the PEARL-GBS, which stopped its dark current measurements last night for unknown reasons. Xiaoyi also finished PEARL-GBS stray light and polarization tests. Volodya wrote a script to test the SPS/MAESTRO tracker and ventured outside in -54 °C temperatures (-38 °C plus the wind chill) and 40 km/hr winds to confirm that the tracker was working fine. Volodya also helped Pierre in his efforts to build a domed hatch for Xiaoyi.
Over at 0PAL, Emily learned how to run white light calibrations remotely, and tested old depolarization optics with a new sheet polarizer beneath the IF filter. Then, Emily and Dan installed the new larger depolarized optics. We intended to run a white light calibration, but the sky surprised us: it had cleared up by the evening! So instead, Chris (at Dalhousie) ran the lidar for routine measurements overnight with the new depolarized optics (no polarizer) still in place. It should effectively be a second elastic channel and should be great for calibrating and tweaking the optics in this channel. 12 hours of measurements were made in all 8 detector channels.
Later on, Dan and Emily went for a walk to the runway and saw the Moon, Jupiter, Venus and bunny tracks! While they were out in the -45 °C weather (-32 °C plus wind chill), Dan learned how well camera batteries don't do in extreme cold.
ACE ozonesonde flights begin February 28.
The Polar Vortex is now centered over the Arctic Ocean, and its edge approaches Eureka.
We all hope good measurement weather will arrive soon.