Remote Sensing of Turbulence and Transverse Atmospheric Wind Profiles using Optical Reference Sources
Abstract
This thesis examines a remote sensing technique for measuring the atmospheric structure constant and the transverse atmospheric wind velocity as a function of altitude by performing temporal and spatial correlations of band pass filtered wave front slope sensor measurements. Two point sources are used to illuminate two pairs-of cc>-located wave front slope sensors. The sources and sensors are arranged to give rise to crossed optical paths. For each pair of wave front slope sensors, the output of the larger sensor is subtracted from the output of the smaller sensor. This band pass filters the smaller sensor's output. The filtered outputs are then correlated. The spatial correlation is related to the structure constant by an integral containing a path weighting function. The path weighting function is sharply peaked at the intersection altitude and decays rapidly to zero. The temporal correlation is related to the wind velocity through an integral containing a wind path weighting function which is sharply peaked at the intersection altitude and decays rapidly to zero. The vertical resolution of each path weighting function is calculated. Also, signal-to-noise ratios are calculated using generally accepted models for the structure constant and atmospheric wind profiles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA258855
Entities
People
- Steven C. Koeffler
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology