Scintillation of Light from Distant Objects due to Anisotropic and Non-Kolmogorov Turbulence

Abstract

Observations at AMOS and elsewhere suggest that turbulence is sometimes non-isotropic and non-Kolmogorov in nature. Such turbulence can produce different jitter, wavefront error, and scintillation than expected from isotropic Kolmogorov turbulence. These differences can impact the design of sensor systems that must see through this atypical turbulence. Quantitative definitions are provided for anisotropic turbulence and non-Kolmogorov turbulence. Using previously developed analyses and with extensive simulations for a plane wave, corresponding to light from a satellite or star, results are presented that parametrically show how scintillation differs from that of standard Kolmogorov turbulence, under a variety of conditions. Also included are conditions appropriate for observations of sources on Mauna Loa as seen at AMOS.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA593370

Entities

People

  • Jacob Lucas
  • Jim F. Riker
  • Richard B. Holmes
  • V. S. Rao Gudimetla

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Amplitude
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Equations
  • Frequency
  • Fresnel Zones
  • Intensity
  • Measurement
  • Plane Waves
  • Power Spectra
  • Refractive Index
  • Scintillation
  • Simulations
  • Spacecraft
  • Turbulence
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Image Processing and Computer Vision.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects