Laser radar vacuum speckle plus atmospheric scintillation: a simple irradiance model

Douglas G. Youmans

doi:10.1117/12.397802

5 September 2000 Laser radar vacuum speckle plus atmospheric scintillation: a simple irradiance model

Douglas G. Youmans

Proceedings Volume 4035, Laser Radar Technology and Applications V; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.397802
Event: AeroSense 2000, 2000, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

A simple analytical model of a laser radar's subtended irradiance probability-density-function has been developed for both direct detection and coherent detection laser radar. The vacuum speckle irradiance statistics are developed following Goodman's 'M parameter' treatment for direct detection ladar and also by setting the M-parameter equal to one (negative- exponential power statistics) for coherent laser radar. A 'turbulence M parameter' is then computed using the round-trip aperture averaging analyses of Gudimetla and Holmes based on the Rytov-variance parameter computation over an atmospheric path of interest. The 'vacuum M parameter' and the 'turbulence M parameter' are then combined to form an 'effective M parameter.' This effective M parameter is used in an analytically simple gamma distribution probability-density- function for the laser radar's subtended irradiance. We will show excellent agreement with the more analytically complicated two-parameter K-distribution from the literature. We will also indicate how one may include the turbulence scintillation in addition to the fundamental vacuum speckle, with increasing levels of turbulence to determine ladar performance.

Citation Download Citation

Douglas G. Youmans "Laser radar vacuum speckle plus atmospheric scintillation: a simple irradiance model", Proc. SPIE 4035, Laser Radar Technology and Applications V, (5 September 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.397802

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