0000000000082853
AUTHOR
S. Kraft
showing 8 related works from this author
FLEX: ESA's Earth Explorer 8 candidate mission
2012
In this paper we present the scientific objectives of the FLEX mission and the underlying rationale. It sketches the basic ideas of the new measurement concept, which is making use of the tandem configuration of FLEX with GMES/Sentinel-3, and outlines the most important instrument and system requirements. We will describe the envisaged instrument configuration that is in line with the measurement objectives, and which is supported by the latest results of the scientific investigations.
First application of calorimetric low-temperature detectors in accelerator mass spectrometry
2004
Abstract For the first time, calorimetric low-temperature detectors were applied in accelerator mass spectrometry, a well-known method for determination of very small isotope ratios with high sensitivity. The aim of the experiment was to determine with high accuracy the isotope ratio of 236U/238U for several samples of natural uranium, 236U being known as a sensitive monitor for neutron flux. Measurements were performed at the VERA tandem accelerator at Vienna, Austria. The detectors consist of sapphire absorbers and superconducting transition edge thermometers operated at T≈ 1.5 K. The relative energy resolution obtained for 17.39 MeV 238U is ΔE/E=4–9×10−3, depending on the experimental co…
Noise analysis for calorimetric low-temperature detectors for heavy ions
2004
The energy resolution of calorimetric low-temperature detectors for heavy ions has been analyzed. It is shown that the contribution of base line noise is small. The energy resolution is determined by intrinsic fluctuations of the detector signal. An incomplete energy thermalization during the stopping process of the heavy ion, the dependence of signal shape on impact position and fluctuations of the Al-TES thermometer response are considered as main sources of detector line broadening. Test measurements with 5 MeV α-particles are presented.
Retrieval of sun-induced fluorescence using advanced spectral fitting methods
2015
Abstract The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) satellite mission, candidate of ESA's 8th Earth Explorer program, is explicitly optimized for detecting the sun-induced fluorescence emitted by plants. It will allow consistent measurements around the O2-B (687 nm) and O2-A (760 nm) bands, related to the red and far-red fluorescence emission peaks respectively, the photochemical reflectance index, and the structural-chemical state variables of the canopy. The sun-induced fluorescence signal, overlapped to the surface reflected radiance, can be accurately retrieved by employing the powerful spectral fitting technique. In this framework, a set of fluorescence retrieval algorithms optimized for FLEX ar…
On the demands on imaging spectrometry for the monitoring of global vegetation fluorescence from space
2013
Vegetation fluorescence when measured from space contributes only a tiny fraction of the signal coming on top of the reflected radiance by the Earth surface and the atmosphere. As a consequence, imaging spectrometers have to provide sufficient throughput and radiometric accuracy to enable accurate global monitoring of the daily to seasonal variations of the Earth's vegetation breath, which is particularly challenging if ground resolutions of a few hundred meters are targeted. Since fluorescence retrieval algorithms have to make corrections for atmospheric effects, it is necessary to provide sufficient spectral resolution, so that signal alterations due to the main parameters such as surface…
Remote sensing of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence at different scales
2014
In this contribution we present activities and selected results obtained in recent studies and campaigns conducted in the context of the FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission. FLEX is a candidate mission for the ESA 8th Earth Explorer and large efforts are currently dedicated to the development of an implementation scheme for an accurate mapping of fluorescence from the selected spaceborne sensor and mission configuration. Field and airborne data collected in different experimental campaigns, together with simulated data, have been used to demonstrate the feasibility of fluorescence retrievals and the potential of exploiting high spatial resolution fluorescence maps for a better understandin…
The FLuorescence EXplorer Mission Concept-ESA's Earth Explorer 8
2017
In November 2015, the FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) was selected as the eighth Earth Explorer mission of the European Space Agency. The tandem mission concept will provide measurements at a spectral and spatial resolution enabling the retrieval and interpretation of the full chlorophyll fluorescence spectrum emitted by the terrestrial vegetation. This paper provides a mission concept overview of the scientific goals, the key objectives related to fluorescence, and the requirements guaranteeing the fitness for purpose of the resulting scientific data set. We present the mission design at the time of selection, i.e., at the end of project phase Phase A/B1, as developed by two independent indus…
Sun-induced fluorescence - a new probe of photosynthesis: First maps from the imaging spectrometer HyPlant.
2015
Variations in photosynthesis still cause substantial uncertainties in predicting photosynthetic CO2 uptake rates and monitoring plant stress. Changes in actual photosynthesis that are not related to greenness of vegetation are difficult to measure by reflectance based optical remote sensing techniques. Several activities are underway to evaluate the sun-induced fluorescence signal on the ground and on a coarse spatial scale using space-borne imaging spectrometers. Intermediate-scale observations using airborne-based imaging spectroscopy, which are critical to bridge the existing gap between small-scale field studies and global observations, are still insufficient. Here we present the first …