The New SCIAMACHY Reference Solar Spectral Irradiance and Its Validation

This paper describes a new reference solar spectrum retrieved from measurements of the satellite instrument SCIAMACHY in the wavelength region from 0.24μm$0.24~\upmu\mbox{m}$ to 2.4μm$2.4~\upmu\mbox{m}$ and its comparison with several other established solar reference spectra. The SCIAMACHY reference spectrum was recorded early in the mission before substantial optical degradation due to the harsh space environment sets in. The radiometric calibration of SCIAMACHY, applied in this study, includes a physical model of the scanner unit. Furthermore, SCIAMACHY’s internal white light source (WLS) is used to correct for on-ground to in-flight changes. The resultant calibrated solar spectrum from SCIAMACHY is in good agreement with several available solar spectral irradiance (SSI) references in the visible spectral range. Strong throughput losses due to detector icing in the near infrared (NIR) are now adequately accounted for. Nevertheless, a deficit with respect to the ATLAS-3 composite and SORCE/SIM SSI is observed in the NIR. However, the SCIAMACHY solar reference spectrum agrees well with the recently re-evaluated SOLAR/SOLSPEC-ISS and recent ground measurements taken at Mauna Loa in the NIR.

[1]  K. Shine,et al.  Can Measurements of the Near‐Infrared Solar Spectral Irradiance be Reconciled? A New Ground‐Based Assessment Between 4,000 and 10,000 cm−1 , 2017 .

[2]  Howard W. Yoon,et al.  NIST measurement services :: spectral irradiance calibrations , 2011 .

[3]  M. Weber,et al.  SOLAR VARIABILITY FROM 240 TO 1750 nm IN TERMS OF FACULAE BRIGHTENING AND SUNSPOT DARKENING FROM SCIAMACHY , 2009 .

[4]  E. Cuevas,et al.  Comments to the Article by Thuillier et al. “The Infrared Solar Spectrum Measured by the SOLSPEC Spectrometer Onboard the International Space Station” on the Interpretation of Ground-based Measurements at the Izaña Site , 2016 .

[5]  A. Hauchecorne,et al.  Solar Irradiance from 165 to 400 nm in 2008 and UV Variations in Three Spectral Bands During Solar Cycle 24 , 2016 .

[6]  Ingemar Furenlid,et al.  Solar flux atlas from 296 to 1300 nm , 1985 .

[7]  G. E. Brueckner,et al.  The solar ultraviolet spectral irradiance monitor (SUSIM) experiment on board the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) , 1993 .

[8]  J. Gröbner,et al.  The high-resolution extraterrestrial solar spectrum (QASUMEFTS) determined from ground-based solar irradiance measurements , 2017 .

[9]  G. Rottman,et al.  11 years of solar UV irradiance measurements from UARS , 2003 .

[10]  Kelly Chance,et al.  An improved high-resolution solar reference spectrum for earth's atmosphere measurements in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared , 2010 .

[11]  Ilse Aben,et al.  Mirror contamination in space I: mirror modelling , 2014 .

[12]  R. Viereck,et al.  Comparison of Magnesium II core-to-wing ratio observations during solar minimum 23/24 , 2014 .

[13]  J. F. Meirink,et al.  The impact of SCIAMACHY near-infrared instrument calibration on CH 4 and CO total columns , 2005 .

[14]  J. Burrows,et al.  Intercomparison of SCIAMACHY and SIM vis-IR irradiance over several solar rotational timescales , 2011 .

[15]  Robert F. Cahalan,et al.  Climate responses to SATIRE and SIM-based spectral solar forcing in a 3D atmosphere-ocean coupled GCM , 2017 .

[16]  Gary J. Rottman,et al.  Solar‐Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment 1: 1. Instrument design and operation , 1993 .

[17]  Mike Lockwood,et al.  SOLAR INFLUENCES ON CLIMATE , 2009 .

[18]  Gérard Thuillier,et al.  Observation of the solar spectral irradiance from 200 nm to 870 nm during the ATLAS 1 and ATLAS 2 missions by the SOLSPEC spectrometer , 1998 .

[19]  Donald A. McSparron,et al.  Spectral irradiance calibrations , 1987 .

[20]  R. Viereck,et al.  The Mg II index: A proxy for solar EUV , 2001 .

[21]  R. N. Griffin,et al.  Determination of extraterrestrial solar spectral irradiance from a research aircraft. , 1969, Applied optics.

[22]  P. Pilewskie,et al.  The SORCE SIM Solar Spectrum: Comparison with Recent Observations , 2010 .

[23]  Craig B. Markwardt,et al.  Non-linear Least Squares Fitting in IDL with MPFIT , 2009, 0902.2850.

[24]  Y. Hernández,et al.  Accurate Determination of the TOA Solar Spectral NIR Irradiance Using a Primary Standard Source and the Bouguer–Langley Technique , 2014 .

[25]  M. Weber.  Comment on the Article by Thuillier et al. “The Infrared Solar Spectrum Measured by the SOLSPEC Spectrometer onboard the International Space Station” , 2015 .

[26]  Kelly Chance,et al.  SCIAMACHY Level 1 data: calibration concept and in-flight calibration , 2005 .

[27]  Heinrich Bovensmann,et al.  SCIAMACHY - Exploring the Changing Earth's Atmosphere , 2011 .

[28]  J. Burrows,et al.  Solar Spectral Irradiance Variations in 240 – 1600 nm During the Recent Solar Cycles 21 – 23 , 2011 .

[29]  Alice Michel,et al.  SOLAR/SOLSPEC mission on ISS: In-flight performance for SSI measurements in the UV , 2017 .

[30]  S. L. Taylor,et al.  Calibration of the SBUV version 8.6 ozone data product , 2012 .

[31]  G. Anderson,et al.  High‐resolution solar spectrum between 2000 and 3100 Å , 1991 .

[32]  P. Levelt,et al.  The High-Resolution Solar Reference Spectrum between 250 and 550 nm and its Application to Measurements with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument , 2008 .

[33]  D. Sluse,et al.  Metrology of solar spectral irradiance at the top of the atmosphere in the near infrared measured at Mauna Loa Observatory: the PYR-ILIOS campaign , 2018, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

[34]  M. Buchwitz,et al.  SCIAMACHY: Mission Objectives and Measurement Modes , 1999 .

[35]  William E. McClintock,et al.  Solar Irradiance Reference Spectra (SIRS) for the 2008 Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) , 2008 .

[36]  H. Neckel,et al.  The solar radiation between 3300 and 12500 Å , 1984 .

[37]  Klaus Pfeilsticker,et al.  The UV-A and visible solar irradiance spectrum: inter-comparison of absolutely calibrated, spectrally medium resolution solar irradiance spectra from balloon- and satellite-borne measurements , 2004 .

[38]  J. Haigh,et al.  Solar Irradiance Variability and Climate , 2013, 1306.2770.

[39]  P. Pilewskie,et al.  Recent variability of the solar spectral irradiance and its impact on climate modelling , 2012, 1303.5577.

[40]  I. Aben,et al.  SCIAMACHY’s View of the Changing Earth’s Environment , 2011 .

[41]  M. Buchwitz,et al.  SCIAMACHY In-flight Instrument Performance , 2002 .

[42]  Paul Charbonneau,et al.  Solar Forcing for CMIP6 (v3.1) , 2016 .

[43]  G. Thuillier,et al.  The Solar Irradiance Spectrum at Solar Activity Minimum Between Solar Cycles 23 and 24 , 2014 .

[44]  R. Cebula,et al.  Solar Irradiance Reference Spectra , 2013 .

[45]  Abdanour Irbah,et al.  SOLAR-ISS: A new reference spectrum based on SOLAR/SOLSPEC observations , 2018 .

[46]  C. Wehrli,et al.  Comparison of Sun photometer calibration by use of the Langley technique and the standard lamp. , 1995, Applied optics.

[47]  D. Sluse,et al.  A New Solar Spectrum from 656 to 3088 nm , 2017 .

[48]  S. Dewitte,et al.  SOVAP/Picard, a Spaceborne Radiometer to Measure the Total Solar Irradiance , 2014 .

[49]  G. Kopp,et al.  A new, lower value of total solar irradiance: Evidence and climate significance , 2011 .

[50]  I. V. Ptashnik,et al.  A high‐resolution near‐infrared extraterrestrial solar spectrum derived from ground‐based Fourier transform spectrometer measurements , 2013 .

[51]  R. Viereck,et al.  A composite Mg II index spanning from 1978 to 2003 , 2004 .

[52]  R. Knox.  The instrument , 2000, Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale.

[53]  Greg Kopp,et al.  Total solar irradiance measurements with PREMOS/PICARD , 2013 .

[54]  J. Haigh.  The Sun and the Earth’s Climate , 2007 .

[55]  G. Thuillier,et al.  The Infrared Solar Spectrum Measured by the SOLSPEC Spectrometer Onboard the International Space Station , 2015 .

[56]  John P. Burrows,et al.  SCIAMACHY—scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric chartography , 1992 .

[57]  J. Burrows,et al.  Total ozone trends and variability during 1979–2012 from merged data sets of various satellites , 2013 .

[58]  Stefan Noel,et al.  SCIAMACHY solar irradiance observation in the spectral range from 240 to 2380 nm , 2005 .

[59]  Ernest Hilsenrath,et al.  Observations of the solar irradiance in the 200-350 nm interval during the ATLAS-1 Mission: A comparison among three sets of measurements-SSBUV, SOLSPEC, and SUSIM , 1996 .

[60]  J. Burrows,et al.  Gome Solar UV/VIS Irradiance Measurements between 1995 and 1997 – First Results on Proxy Solar Activity Studies , 1998 .