Threshold Detection in the Presence of Atmospheric Turbulence
Abstract
Recently, there has been increased interest in threats to spacecraft from ground-based lasers. It has been suggested that some spacecraft should employ laser-threat warning receivers. Here, we consider the effects of atmospheric turbulence on threshold detection of optical signals by an exoatmospheric receiver. The present results are applicable to both cw and pulsed optical illumination from ground-based lasers. In particular, we obtain accurate analytical expressions, over a wide range of conditions of practical interest, that give the required signal-to-noise ratio for a given (single- event) probability of detection, false-alarm rate, and turbulence-induced log- intensity variance. The degrading effects of atmospheric turbulence on threshold detection are most important for large zenith angles in the blue-green region of the spectrum.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 15, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA286175
Entities
People
- H. T. Yura
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation