Scan Planning Optimization for 2-D Beam Scanning Using a Future Geostationary Microwave Radiometer

A 2-D beam scanning subsystem provides an effective means for a real-aperture microwave radiometer (MWR) to observe atmospheric events from a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). However, it is practically difficult to achieve a high-quality and high-efficiency beam coverage in the specified regional target scene under different working modes of the MWR and their corresponding observation constraints. In this study, a scan planning model used by China's future GEO MWR is derived. This model is useful for achieving the optimal balance between the scan quality and time. Additionally, we establish a framework to compute the solution of our model. In the framework, we first present nominal-grid-based algorithms to numerically calculate the model constraints and objective function, and then introduce a multilevel neighbor search strategy to find the optimized solution. The significance of the framework lies in its capability to balance the tradeoffs between time consumption and global optimality. Preliminary test results demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed model. The methods and results presented in this study are expected to provide constructive insights into the scanning scheme design of China's future GEO MWR and benefit the development of other similar 2-D beam scanning systems.