THE GENERATOR FUNCTION-METHOD OF THE TROPOSPHERIC REFRACTION CORRECTIONS

Both the astronomical angular refraction and the refractive delay of tropospheric atmosphere can be calibrated by means of the generator function method of mapping functions. Based on the continued fraction expression of the complementary error function, the new mapping function forms of the tropospheric delay have been derived for the standard atmospheric model and Hopfield atmospheric profile, respectively. The accuracies of these new models are insured to be better than 1 cm to an elevation angle lower than 2.degrees 5 over a wide range of meteorological conditions in comparison with ray-trace solutions. (C) 1995 American Astronomical Society.