Abstract

There have been many attempts to derive profiles of optical refractive turbulence in the atmosphere using both in situ and remote sensors. In situ sensors generally suffer from the fact that they provide poor data continuity in time. Because of the expense and difficulty of launching balloons or aircraft, they are by their nature strictly intermittent probers of the turbulent state of the atmosphere. On the other hand, in situ sensors provide very high spatial resolution, with the caveat for balloon-borne sensors that they are transported by the local wind velocity which makes their trajectory unpredictable. Remote sensors such as the existing optical scintillometers have much poorer resolution and work with the highest efficiency at night. They do, however, provide nearly continuous monitoring of the atmosphere with minimum expense.

© 1986 Optical Society of America