Mesospheric imaging Michelson interferometer instrument development and observations

This dissertation demonstrated the capability of the Mesospheric Imaging Michelson Interferometer (MIMI) instrument to passively measure wind velocities from Doppler-shifted atmospheric airglow emissions. The work consisted of two parts, (i) laboratory work focused on the measurement of simulated atmospheric winds with both Doppler-shifted visible and near-IR wavelengths and (ii) the development of a field instrument based on a lab prototype to investigate the potential of measuring Mesospheric winds from the ground.; The primary component of the MIMI instrument was a custom built Michelson interferometer which was field widened, chromatically compensated, thermally compensated, and monolithic with no moving parts. The Michelson interferometer, used together with a novel four-point wind retrieval algorithm, provides simultaneous emission rate and wind velocity data over a single integration time. Simultaneously measuring the emission rate over the FOV and measuring wind velocity relative to the observer, of an air parcel containing an emitting chemical species, is a unique feature of the MIMI instrument. Eliminating sequential scanning of the Michelson to measure wind velocities (or being able to take a 'snapshot' of the atmosphere) and provide data on the emission rates and wind velocities, renders the instrument insensitive to scene changes over the integration time, which is an advantage over traditional scanning Michelson interferometers.; Spectral lines from visible and near-IR sources were Doppler shifted in a controllable procedure to provide known velocities which were compared to the velocities measured by the interferometer. Wind simulations completed in the visible wavelength region retrieved velocities to within a standard deviation of +/-1ms-1. Wind simulations in the near-IR retrieved wind velocities to within a standard deviation of +/-2ms -1. These standard deviations are acceptable when compared to typical Mesospheric winds of 10 to 100ms-1 and when current uncertainties from other atmospheric wind data sets are considered.; A MIMI field instrument was developed and deployed where Meinel bands of OH and several near-IR O2(1Delta g) airglow emissions were observed from the ground; however, with the field instrument the configuration and performance of the hardware were such that ground measurements of winds were not feasible.; This work provided a proof of concept of the ability of the MIMI instrument to measure Doppler shifted winds in the near-IR, which had not been previously demonstrated. The lab results have helped in strengthening current and future proposals for flight, versions of the MIMI instrument.