| The Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) is an instrument on-board the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) that was launched in September, 1991. WINDII was designed and built in Canada and prior to its final delivery to NASA, it underwent characterization in September-October, 1990.; Using the optical emissions from several atmospheric species, WINDII will measure winds and temperatures in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over an altitude range of 75 to 315 km. In addition, it will map the emission rates of these species in the same region. The characterization has provided the transfer function required to compute these scientific quantities from the instrument output.; The characterization included a wide range of testing: optical parameters such as distortion; system transmittance (passband); absolute responsivity; instrument visibility; and instrument phase corresponding to zero wind speed.; Characterization requirements, techniques, test set-ups, and procedures are described. Detailed results of the characterization of optical parameters, transmittance, responsivity, visibility and zero wind phase are generated using various analytical techniques. A dark current correction algorithm was devised to improve the data reduction process and an error analysis was performed and compared with the system accuracy requirements.; Instrument performance was as expected or better. Detailed examination of the data indicated a small non-linearity, white light fringes, and a degradation of responsivity owing to the presence of some contaminant on the detector. Instrument visibility, although very high indicating an excellent instrument, manifested unexpected patterns which remain unexplained. Zero wind phase was determined using laboratory sources but the accuracy suffered because of a lack of data. |
