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Hygrometer Prototype Flown on a DC8 to Study Hurricanes

This high-frequency quartz oscillator, mounted on a thermoelectric cooler, was used in an early prototype of the JPL-developed SAW hygrometer for fast, accurate measurements of humidity in Earth's atmosphere. The quartz oscillator acts as a highly-sensitive condensation detector as the thermoelectric device cools the SAW surface to the dewpoint temperature. The prototype of this instrument was flown on a NASA DC8 during 1995 to validate the technology. Based on the success of these flights, NASA sponsored the miniaturization and further testing of the SAW hygrometer.

For Additional Information:

http://csmt.jpl.nasa.gov/csmtpages/Technologies/Weather/weather.html