Junqiang Sun

Bio: Junqiang Sun is an academic researcher from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Optical amplifier & Fiber laser. The author has an hindex of 33, co-authored 306 publications receiving 4527 citations. Previous affiliations of Junqiang Sun include Sichuan University.

Multiyear On-Orbit Calibration and Performance of Terra MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

Abstract: Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has made continuous global observations for more than six years since its launch in December 1999. MODIS has 36 spectral bands: 20 reflective solar bands (RSBs) with wavelengths from 0.41-2.2 mum and 16 thermal emissive bands with wavelengths from 3.7-14.4 mum. It is a cross-track scanning radiometer that collects data at three nadir spatial resolutions: 0.25 km (2 bands), 0.5 km (5 bands), and 1 km (29 bands). An onboard solar diffuser (SD) and an SD stability monitor (SDSM) are used biweekly for RSB on-orbit radiometric calibration. Another onboard calibrator (OBC), a spectroradiometric calibration assembly, is used periodically to evaluate and monitor RSB spatial and spectral performance. In addition to measurements made using OBCs, lunar observations at nearly identical phase angles are used to track RSB calibration stability. This paper provides an overview of MODIS RSB on-orbit calibration algorithms and operational activities. It discusses sensor characteristics that could impact RSB calibration accuracy and data product quality, including degradation of the SD bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF), degradation of the scan mirror reflectance in the visible spectral region, and changes in operational configuration. The Terra MODIS OBCs have performed well in monitoring SD degradation and tracking changes in RSB response. Band 8 (0.41 mum) has experienced the largest response decrease with an approximate annual rate of 4.5% (mirror side 1). Band 9 (0.44 mum) has an annual response decrease of about 2.3% (mirror side 1). For most RSB bands with wavelengths greater than 0.5 mum, the annual response changes are generally less than 1.0%. Results from the SDSM on-orbit observations show that the SD BRF also has a similar wavelength-dependent degradation, with the largest degradation appearing at the shortest wavelengths. Among the 330 RSB detectors, there are no inoperable detectors, and only a few noisy detectors have appeared postlaunch

VIIRS on-orbit calibration methodology and performance

Abstract: The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership spacecraft has successfully operated since its launch in October 2011. The VIIRS collects data in 22 spectral bands that are calibrated by a set of onboard calibrators (OBC). In addition, lunar observations are made to independently track VIIRS long-term calibration stability for the reflective solar bands (RSB). This paper provides an overview of VIIRS OBC functions as well as its on-orbit operation and calibration activities. It also describes sensor calibration methodologies and demonstrates VIIRS on-orbit performance from launch to present. Results reported in this paper include on-orbit changes in sensor spectral band responses, detector noise characterization, and key calibration parameters. Issues identified and their potential impacts on sensor calibration are also discussed. Since launch, the VIIRS instrument nominal operation temperature has been stable to within ±1.0 K. The cold focal plane temperatures have been well controlled, with variations of less than 20 mK over a period of 1.5 years. In general, changes in thermal emissive bands (TEB) detector responses have been less than 0.5%. Despite large response degradation in several near-infrared and short-wave infrared bands and large SD degradation at short visible wavelengths, the VIIRS sensor and OBC overall performance has been excellent postlaunch. The degradation caused by the telescope mirror coating contamination has been modeled and its impact addressed through the use of modulated relative spectral response in the improved calibration and the current sensor data record data production. Based on current instrument characteristics and performance, it is expected that the VIIRS calibration will continue to meet its design requirements, including RSB detector signal to noise ratio and TEB detector noise equivalent temperature difference, throughout its 7 year design lifetime.

MODIS Reflective Solar Bands On-Orbit Lunar Calibration

Abstract: The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) protoflight model on-board the Terra spacecraft and the MODIS flight model 1 on-board the Aqua spacecraft were launched on December 18, 1999 and May 4, 2002, respectively. They view the moon through the space view (SV) port approximately once a month to monitor the long-term radiometric stability of their reflective solar bands (RSBs). The lunar irradiance observed by MODIS depends on the viewing geometry. Algorithms were developed to select lunar views such that these geometric effects are minimized. In each MODIS lunar observation, the moon can be viewed in multiple scans. The lunar irradiance of a MODIS RSB can be derived from the response of all detectors of a spectral band in one scan which fully covers the moon, from that of one detector in multiple scans or from the response of all detectors in multiple scans. Based on lunar observations, a set of coefficients is defined and derived to trend MODIS system response degradation at the angle of incidence (AOI) of its SV port. It is shown that the degradation is both wavelength and mirror side dependent. Since launch, Terra and Aqua MODIS band 8 (412 nm) mirror side one have degraded 36% and 17%, respectively, at the AOI of the SV. A comparison between the lunar coefficients and those derived from the MODIS on-board solar diffuser (SD) calibrations shows that the response change of the MODIS RSB is both AOI and time dependent. Time-dependent response versus scan angle (RVS) lookup tables derived from lunar views, SD calibration, and Earth-view observations have been used to maintain the quality of the L1B data for both the Terra and Aqua MODIS RSB. The corrections provided by the RVS in the Terra and Aqua MODIS data from the 412-nm band are as large as 14% and 6.2%, respectively.

Insights into secondary organic aerosol formed via aqueous-phase reactions of phenolic compounds based on high resolution mass spectrometry

Abstract: . Recent work has shown that aqueous-phase reactions of phenolic compounds – phenol (C6H6O), guaiacol (C7H8O2), and syringol (C8H10O3) – can form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) at high yields. Here we examine the chemical characteristics of this SOA and its formation mechanisms using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-AMS), an Ion Chromatography system (IC), and a Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyzer. The phenolic SOA are highly oxygenated with oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratios in the range of 0.80–1.06 and carbon oxidation states (=2×O/C-H/C) between −0.14 and +0.47. The organic mass-to-carbon (OM/OC) ratios determined by the HR-AMS (=2.21–2.55) agree well with values determined based on the SOA mass measured gravimetrically and the OC mass from the TOC analyzer. Both the O/C and OM/OC ratios of the phenolic SOA are similar to the values observed for ambient low-volatility oxygenated/secondary OA (LV-OOA). Oxalate is a minor, but ubiquitous, component of the SOA formed from all three phenolic precursors, accounting for 1.4−5.2% of the SOA mass, with generally higher yields in experiments with H2O2 added as an OH source compared to without. The AMS spectra show evidence for the formation of syringol and guaiacol dimers and higher oligomers via C-C and C-O coupling of phenoxyl radicals, which are formed through oxidation pathways such as abstraction of the phenolic hydrogen atom or OH addition to the aromatic ring. This latter pathway leads to hydroxylation of the aromatic ring, which is one mechanism that increases the degree of oxidation of the SOA products. Compared to direct photochemical reactions of the phenols, OH-initiated reactions favor the formation of smaller oxidation products but less dimers or higher oligomers. Two unique and prominent ions in the syringol and guaiacol SOA spectra, m/z 306 (C16H18O6+) and m/z 246 (C14H14O4+), respectively, are observed in ambient aerosols significantly influenced by wood combustion and fog processing. Our results indicate that cloud and fog processing of phenolic compounds, especially in areas with active biomass burning, might represent an important pathway for the formation of low-volatility and highly oxygenated organic species, which would remain in the particle phase after fog/cloud evaporation and affect the chemical and optical properties of atmospheric particles.

On-Orbit Calibration and Performance of Aqua MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

Abstract: Aqua MODIS has successfully operated on-orbit for more than six years since its launch in May 2002, continuously making global observations and improving studies of changes in the Earth's climate and environment. Twenty of the 36 MODIS spectral bands, covering wavelengths from 0.41 to 2.2 ?m, are the reflective solar bands (RSBs). They are calibrated on-orbit using an onboard solar diffuser (SD) and an SD stability monitor. In addition, regularly scheduled lunar observations are made to track the RSB calibration stability. This paper presents Aqua MODIS RSB on-orbit calibration and characterization activities, methodologies, and performance. Included in this paper are characterizations of detector signal-to-noise ratio, short-term stability, and long-term response change. Spectral-wavelength-dependent degradation of the SD bidirectional reflectance factor and scan mirror reflectance, which also varies with the angle of incidence, is examined. On-orbit results show that Aqua MODIS onboard calibrators have performed well, enabling accurate calibration coefficients to be derived and updated for the Level 1B production and assuring high-quality science data products to be continuously generated and distributed. Since launch, the short-term response, on a scan-by-scan basis, has remained extremely stable for most RSB detectors. With the exception of band 6, there have been no new RSB noisy or inoperable detectors. Like its predecessor, i.e., Terra MODIS, launched in December 1999, the Aqua MODIS visible spectral bands have experienced relatively large changes, with an annual response decrease (mirror side 1) of 3.6% for band 8 at 0.412 ?m, 2.3% for band 9 at 0.443 ?m, 1.6% for band 3 at 0.469 ?m, and 1.2% for band 10 at 0.488 ?m. For other RSB bands with wavelengths greater than 0.5 ?m, the annual response changes are typically less than 0.5%. In general, Aqua MODIS optics degradation is smaller than Terra MODIS, and the mirror-side differences are much smaller. Overall, Aqua MODIS RSB on-orbit performance is better than that of Terra MODIS.

The Collection 6 MODIS aerosol products over land and ocean

Abstract: . The twin Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors have been flying on Terra since 2000 and Aqua since 2002, creating an extensive data set of global Earth observations. Here, we introduce the Collection 6 (C6) algorithm to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol size parameters from MODIS-observed spectral reflectance. While not a major overhaul from the previous Collection 5 (C5) version, there are enough changes that there are significant impacts to the products and their interpretation. The C6 aerosol data set will be created from three separate retrieval algorithms that operate over different surface types. These are the two "Dark Target" (DT) algorithms for retrieving (1) over ocean (dark in visible and longer wavelengths) and (2) over vegetated/dark-soiled land (dark in the visible), plus the "Deep Blue" (DB) algorithm developed originally for retrieving (3) over desert/arid land (bright in the visible). Here, we focus on DT-ocean and DT-land (#1 and #2). We have updated assumptions for central wavelengths, Rayleigh optical depths and gas (H2O, O3, CO2, etc.) absorption corrections, while relaxing the solar zenith angle limit (up to ≤ 84°) to increase poleward coverage. For DT-land, we have updated the cloud mask to allow heavy smoke retrievals, fine-tuned the assignments for aerosol type as function of season/location, corrected bugs in the Quality Assurance (QA) logic, and added diagnostic parameters such topographic altitude. For DT-ocean, improvements include a revised cloud mask for thin-cirrus detection, inclusion of wind speed dependence on the surface reflectance, updates to logic of QA Confidence flag (QAC) assignment, and additions of important diagnostic information. At the same time, we quantified how "upstream" changes to instrument calibration, land/sea masking and cloud masking will also impact the statistics of global AOD, and affect Terra and Aqua differently. For Aqua, all changes will result in reduced global AOD (by 0.02) over ocean and increased AOD (by 0.02) over land, along with changes in spatial coverage. We compared preliminary data to surface-based sun photometer data, and show that C6 should improve upon C5. C6 will include a merged DT/DB product over semi-arid land surfaces for reduced-gap coverage and better visualization, and new information about clouds in the aerosol field. Responding to the needs of the air quality community, in addition to the standard 10 km product, C6 will include a global (DT-land and DT-ocean) aerosol product at 3 km resolution.

Optical communications using orbital angular momentum beams

Abstract: Orbital angular momentum (OAM), which describes the “phase twist” (helical phase pattern) of light beams, has recently gained interest due to its potential applications in many diverse areas. Particularly promising is the use of OAM for optical communications since: (i) coaxially propagating OAM beams with different azimuthal OAM states are mutually orthogonal, (ii) inter-beam crosstalk can be minimized, and (iii) the beams can be efficiently multiplexed and demultiplexed. As a result, multiple OAM states could be used as different carriers for multiplexing and transmitting multiple data streams, thereby potentially increasing the system capacity. In this paper, we review recent progress in OAM beam generation/detection, multiplexing/demultiplexing, and its potential applications in different scenarios including free-space optical communications, fiber-optic communications, and RF communications. Technical challenges and perspectives of OAM beams are also discussed.

A broadband achromatic metalens for focusing and imaging in the visible.

Abstract: A key goal of metalens research is to achieve wavefront shaping of light using optical elements with thicknesses on the order of the wavelength. Such miniaturization is expected to lead to compact, nanoscale optical devices with applications in cameras, lighting, displays and wearable optics. However, retaining functionality while reducing device size has proven particularly challenging. For example, so far there has been no demonstration of broadband achromatic metalenses covering the entire visible spectrum. Here, we show that by judicious design of nanofins on a surface, it is possible to simultaneously control the phase, group delay and group delay dispersion of light, thereby achieving a transmissive achromatic metalens with large bandwidth. We demonstrate diffraction-limited achromatic focusing and achromatic imaging from 470 to 670 nm. Our metalens comprises only a single layer of nanostructures whose thickness is on the order of the wavelength, and does not involve spatial multiplexing or cascading. While this initial design (numerical aperture of 0.2) has an efficiency of about 20% at 500 nm, we discuss ways in which our approach may be further optimized to meet the demand of future applications. Controlling the geometry of each dielectric element of a nanostructured surface enables frequency-dependent group delay and group delay dispersion engineering, and the fabrication of an achromatic metalens for imaging in the visible in transmission.

Global evaluation of the Collection 5 MODIS dark-target aerosol products over land

Abstract: . NASA's MODIS sensors have been observing the Earth from polar orbit, from Terra since early 2000 and from Aqua since mid 2002. We have applied a consistent retrieval and processing algorithm to both sensors to derive the Collection 5 (C005) dark-target aerosol products over land. Here, we validate the MODIS along-orbit Level 2 products by comparing to quality assured Level 2 AERONET sunphotometer measurements at over 300 sites. From 85 463 collocations, representing mutually cloud-free conditions, we find that >66% (one standard deviation) of MODIS-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) values compare to AERONET-observed values within an expected error (EE) envelope of ±(0.05 + 15%), with high correlation (R = 0.9). Thus, the MODIS AOD product is validated and quantitative. However, even though we can define EEs for MODIS-reported Angstrom exponent and fine AOD over land, these products do not have similar physical validity. Although validated globally, MODIS-retrieved AOD does not fall within the EE envelope everywhere. We characterize some of the residual biases that are related to specific aerosol conditions, observation geometry, and/or surface properties, and relate them to situations where particular MODIS algorithm assumptions are violated. Both Terra's and Aqua's–retrieved AOD are similarly comparable to AERONET, however, Terra's global AOD bias changes with time, overestimating (by ~0.005) before 2004, and underestimating by similar magnitude after. This suggests how small calibration uncertainties of

Secondary organic aerosol formation in cloud droplets and aqueous particles (aqSOA): a review of laboratory, field and model studies

Abstract: . Progress has been made over the past decade in predicting secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass in the atmosphere using vapor pressure-driven partitioning, which implies that SOA compounds are formed in the gas phase and then partition to an organic phase (gasSOA). However, discrepancies in predicting organic aerosol oxidation state, size and product (molecular mass) distribution, relative humidity (RH) dependence, color, and vertical profile suggest that additional SOA sources and aging processes may be important. The formation of SOA in cloud and aerosol water (aqSOA) is not considered in these models even though water is an abundant medium for atmospheric chemistry and such chemistry can form dicarboxylic acids and "humic-like substances" (oligomers, high-molecular-weight compounds), i.e. compounds that do not have any gas phase sources but comprise a significant fraction of the total SOA mass. There is direct evidence from field observations and laboratory studies that organic aerosol is formed in cloud and aerosol water, contributing substantial mass to the droplet mode. This review summarizes the current knowledge on aqueous phase organic reactions and combines evidence that points to a significant role of aqSOA formation in the atmosphere. Model studies are discussed that explore the importance of aqSOA formation and suggestions for model improvements are made based on the comprehensive set of laboratory data presented here. A first comparison is made between aqSOA and gasSOA yields and mass predictions for selected conditions. These simulations suggest that aqSOA might contribute almost as much mass as gasSOA to the SOA budget, with highest contributions from biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of anthropogenic pollutants (i.e. NOx) at high relative humidity and cloudiness. Gaps in the current understanding of aqSOA processes are discussed and further studies (laboratory, field, model) are outlined to complement current data sets.