Integrated atmospheric characterization system

David W. Roberts; Gary G. Gimmestad; John M. Stewart; David N. Whiteman; Frank D. Eaton

doi:10.1117/12.820238

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6 May 2009 Integrated atmospheric characterization system

David W. Roberts, Gary G. Gimmestad, John M. Stewart, David N. Whiteman, Frank D. Eaton

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Proceedings Volume 7324, Atmospheric Propagation VI; 73240O (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.820238
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2009, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is developing a transportable multi-lidar instrument known as the Integrated Atmospheric Characterization System (IACS). The system will be housed in standard shipping containers that will be transported to remote sites by tractor-trailer. IACS will comprise three lidars: a 355 nm imaging lidar for profiling refractive turbulence, a 355 nm Raman lidar for profiling water vapor, and an aerosol lidar operating at both 1.06 and 1.625 microns. All of the lidar transmit/receive optics will be co-aligned on a common mount, pointable at any elevation angle from horizontal to vertical. The entire system will be computer controlled to facilitate pointing and automatic data acquisition. The purpose of IACS is to characterize optical propagation paths during outdoor tests of electro-optical systems. The tests are anticipated to include ground-to-ground, air-to-ground, and ground-to-air scenarios, so the system must accommodate arbitrary slant paths through the atmosphere with maximum measurement ranges of 5-10 km. Elevation angle scans will be used to determine atmospheric extinction profiles at the infrared wavelengths, and data from the three wavelengths will be used to determine the aerosol Angstrom coefficient, enabling interpolation of results to other wavelengths in the 355 nm to 1.6 micron region. The imaging lidar for profiling refractive turbulence is based on a previously-reported project known as Range Profiles of Turbulence.

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David W. Roberts, Gary G. Gimmestad, John M. Stewart, David N. Whiteman, and Frank D. Eaton "Integrated atmospheric characterization system", Proc. SPIE 7324, Atmospheric Propagation VI, 73240O (6 May 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.820238

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