Measuring the Contribution of Atmospheric Scatter to Laser Eye Dazzle
Abstract
An experiment has been conducted to determine the contribution of atmospheric scatter to the severity of the dazzle experienced by a human under illumination from a visible laser. A 15W532 nm laser was propagated over a 380 m outdoor range in San Antonio, Texas, over nine data collection sessions spanning June and July 2014. A narrow acceptance angle detector was used to measure scattered laser radiation within the laser beam at different angles from its axis. Atmospheric conditions were logged via a local weather station, and air quality data were taken from a nearby continuous air monitoring station. The measured laser irradiance data showed very little variation across the sessions and a single fitting equation was derived for the atmospheric scatter function. With very conservative estimates of the scatter from the human eye, atmospheric scatter was found to contribute no more than 5% to the overall veiling luminance across the scene for a human observer experiencing laser eye dazzle. It was concluded that atmospheric scatter does not make a significant contribution to laser eye dazzle for short-range laser engagements in atmospheres of good to moderate air quality, which account for 99.5% of conditions in San Antonio, Texas.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA623875
Entities
People
- Craig A Williamson
- David A. Freeman
- J. M. Rickman
- Leon N. McLin
- Michael A. Manka
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory