Abstract

High spatial resolution vertical profiles of refractive turbulence $C_n^2$ can be obtained using a translating airborne light source. From spatially filtered observations of the optical scintillation pattern on the ground, caused by atmospheric density fluctuations, it is possible to infer both vertical profiles of $C_n^2$ and the shape of the refractive turbulence spectrum. Profiles of key parameters such as the turbulence microscale are thereby accessible from ground-based measurements. The required signal-to-noise ratio and resultant spatial and spectral resolutions are determined.

© 1987 Optical Society of America

Refractive turbulence profiling using stellar scintillation and radar wind profiles

James H. Churnside and Steven F. Clifford
Appl. Opt. 27(23) 4884-4890 (1988)

Localized measurements of refractive turbulence using spatial filtering of scintillations

James H. Churnside, Richard J. Lataitis, and Robert S. Lawrence
Appl. Opt. 27(11) 2199-2213 (1988)

Refractive turbulence profiling using an orbiting light source

J. Krause-Polstorff and Donald Walters
Appl. Opt. 29(13) 1877-1885 (1990)

Refractive-turbulence profiles measured by one-dimensional spatial filtering of scintillations

G. R. Ochs, Ting-i Wang, R. S. Lawrence, and S. F. Clifford
Appl. Opt. 15(10) 2504-2510 (1976)

Theory of measuring the path-averaged inner scale of turbulence by spatial filtering of optical scintillation

R. J. Hill
Appl. Opt. 21(7) 1201-1211 (1982)