MMA Memo #127

Experimental Determination of the Dependence of Tropospheric Pathlength Variation on Airmass

M.A. Holdaway, M. Ishiguro [1]

March 1, 1995

Keywords: atmospheric phase fluctuations, phase structure function, elevation dependence

The rms interferometrc phase, presumed due to inhomogeneously distributed water vapor in the troposphere, is shown to vary as the square root ot the airmass on baselines of a few hundreds of meters, matching the prediction of Treuhaft and Lanyi (1987). There is tentative evidence that the rms phase varies more steeply with airmass on baselines of about 700m.

[1] NRAO/ Socorro

Last modified: 09 December, 1999