Atmospheric turbulence monitoring in conjunction with imager-designator operation

James A. Dowling; David Charles Dayton; Steven C. Sandven; John D. Gonglewski; Michael L. Shilko Sr.; Samuel C. Rogers; Scot W. McDermott; Richard J. Gallegos; Kristen M. Turner

doi:10.1117/12.332424

7 December 1998 Atmospheric turbulence monitoring in conjunction with imager-designator operation

James A. Dowling, David Charles Dayton, Steven C. Sandven, John D. Gonglewski, Michael L. Shilko Sr., Samuel C. Rogers, Scot W. McDermott, Richard J. Gallegos, Kristen M. Turner

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3494, Atmospheric Propagation, Adaptive Systems, and Lidar Techniques for Remote Sensing II; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.332424
Event: Remote Sensing, 1998, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

The performance of operational military E-O systems including imaging FLIRs, target designators, and laser rangefinders (LRF) is limited by atmospheric refractive- index turbulence. In locations subject to intense daytime heating and significant nighttime cooling, typically an arid desert-like environment, the diurnal change in C_n² can range over three to four orders of magnitude or larger in some cases. Elevation of the path above the desert floor even at one end can significantly reduce the performance- degrading effects of atmospheric turbulence on FLIRs, designators, and LRFs. In case where operation of these systems at longer wavelengths is possible, performance limitations can, to some extent, be mitigated. This paper discusses the use of multi-wavelength scintillation measurements as a diagnostic, and LRFs. In cases where operation of these systems at longer wavelengths is possible, performance limitations can, to some extent, be mitigated. This paper discusses the use of multi-wavelength scintillation measurements as a diagnostic to infer a path- integrated value for C_n² which can be related to the performance of various E-O systems. An experimental design utilizing IR wavelengths and several slant-paths ranging in length from 2.8 km to 10 km and elevated approximately 730 m above a desert floor is discussed. The multi-wavelength scintillometer design used is based on the 11.15 micrometers scintillometer described in a paper previously presented at an earlier conference.

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James A. Dowling, David Charles Dayton, Steven C. Sandven, John D. Gonglewski, Michael L. Shilko Sr., Samuel C. Rogers, Scot W. McDermott, Richard J. Gallegos, and Kristen M. Turner "Atmospheric turbulence monitoring in conjunction with imager-designator operation", Proc. SPIE 3494, Atmospheric Propagation, Adaptive Systems, and Lidar Techniques for Remote Sensing II, (7 December 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.332424

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KEYWORDS

Atmospheric turbulence

Laser range finders

Diagnostics

Forward looking infrared

Imaging systems

Scintillation

Atmospheric modeling

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