Propagation of a Focused Laser Beam in a Turbulent Atmosphere

Abstract

A method is given for calculating the performance of a laser system with beam truncated by focusing optics in a turbulent atmosphere. Previous analyses have been limited to vacuum calculations with untruncated beams, and even then have not conserved the irradiance. This approach separates the geometry of the problem (the complex aperture distribution) from the beam propagation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0728743

Entities

People

  • R. F. Lutomirski

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheres
  • Bessel Functions
  • Communication Systems
  • Degradation
  • Diameters
  • Equations
  • Focal Planes
  • Integrals
  • Intensity
  • Laser Beams
  • Measurement
  • Refraction
  • Refractive Index
  • Scattering
  • Spherical Waves
  • Wave Propagation
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy