The Physics of Boundary-Layer Aero-Optic Effects
Abstract
This report presents results of experimental studies of aero-optical effects, both in time-averaged and instantaneous sense, caused by compressible turbulent boundary layers. The results were used to investigate the physical mechanism of aero-optical distortions and to develop various models to predict aero-optical effects for both subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers, laser beam sizes and non-adiabatic walls. The developed models were shown to correctly predict experimentally-observed level of aero-optical distortions. The temperature mismatch between the flow and the wall was systematically studied and modeled and it was shown to have a profound effect on the level aero-optical aberrations. Detailed studies of the beam size on the spatial statistics of aero-optical structures were also carried out in this work. Finally, statistics of the instantaneous far-field drop-outs, like their time-duration, frequency and strength, were investigated and various tools were developed to predict and properly address a potentially-damaging impact from boundary layers on the laser communication airborne systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA575823
Entities
People
- Eric J. Jumper
- Stanislav Gordeyev
Organizations
- University of Notre Dame