Backscat Lidar Simulation Version 4.0: Technical Documentation and Users Guide
Abstract
SPARTA's BACKSCAT software package simulates the performance of lidars for remote sensing and other atmospheric applications. The package accommodates a wide range of lidar systems, viewing scenarios, and atmospheric conditions, plus it contains a user-friendly menu interface system for specifying input parameters. This report gives technical documentation and a Users Guide for BACKSCAT Version 4.0. In this effort, comprehensive and versatile signal-to-noise (SNR) performance models have been introduced into BACKSCAT. The SNR models give performance and range accuracy estimates for direct detection and coherent Doppler lidar systems, plus estimates of the wind speed accuracy for coherent Doppler systems. The models contain all important noise sources inherent in the detection process and allow the user to select from built-in detectors, as well as define their own detector specifications. In response to the user community, five water clouds have been added to BACKSCAT and they can be 'clicked-on' automatically as built-in cloud models. BACKSCAT version 4.0 also contains an auxiliary software package, 'MABS', that estimates the molecular absorption profile for a lidar wavelength. 'MABS' generates output that can be used in a simulation. Because 'MABS' performs a broadband calculation, it is not intended to be a complete treatment of the molecular absorption problem. Finally, methods of handling the increased size of the BACKSCAT package have been developed. Lidar simulation, Signal-to-noise models, Lidar backscatter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA285851
Entities
People
- David R. Longtin
- James R. Jones
- John R. Hummel
- Michael G. Cheifetz