The influence of atmospheric profile resolution on modelling propagation effects in high-elevation scenarios

Using seasonally averaged meteorological and spectrally resolved aerosol profiles extracted from a maritime environment, this paper investigated how the resolution of the vertical profiles influences the 3-5μm and 8-12μm average transmittance and integrated path radiance computations conducted by MODTRAN in high-elevation scenarios. First, the...

Investigation of optical turbulence from an unmanned aerial system

Wave propagation of electro-optical systems, lasers or imaging depends on the state of the atmosphere their beams are passing through. Fluctuations in the refractive index of air are responsible for signal attenuation and image degradation. This atmospheric effect is called optical turbulence and its strength is quantified by the structure...

Height dependence of characteristics of power spectra of temperature investigated in the surface layer of White Sands /US

A field trial was performed in the arid scrub area of White Sands, NM /USA in October 2017 investigating the atmospheric influence on imaging and sensor performance. In this paper we focus on the strength of optical turbulence. Optical turbulence is described by the structure function parameter of the refractive index Cn 2. It is responsible for...

Inhomogeneity of optical turbulence over False Bay (South Africa)

Atmospheric turbulence impacts on the propagation of electro-optical radiation. Typical manifestations of optical turbulence are scintillation (intensity fluctuations), beam wander and (for laser systems) reduction of beam quality. For longer propagation channels, it is important to characterize the vertical and horizontal distribution ...

Optical turbulence in the coastal area over False Bay /South Africa: Comparison of measurements and modeling results

The atmospheric influence on wave propagation was investigated during the First European South African Transmission ExpeRiment from June 2015 to February 2016. The focus in this article was set on optical turbulence, the main atmospheric factor affecting the position and strength of Laser beams, the performance of electro-optical systems and...

Investigation of aerosols in South Africa: Comparison of measurements and modeling

The numerical LOTOS-EUROS model that provides information on the regional distribution of aerosols was implemented for a new domain, Southern Africa. The first set-up for the study areas is discussed and a comparison of model products to experimental data is presented. The model compares favorably to MODIS satellite products on a regional scale....

Comparison of integrated optical turbulence over the sea in different coastal regions in the world

Electro-optical and laser systems are presently deployed in naval operations around the world. The performance of these systems is negatively affected by optical turbulence in the atmosphere, quantified by the parameter Cn 2. The strength of the integrated optical turbulence Cn 2 was investigated for several coastal locations in different...

Aerosol optical properties inferred from in-situ and path-averaged measurements

This paper compares in-situ and path-averaged measurements of the electro-optical transmission, with emphasis on aerosol effects. The in-situ sensors consisted of optical particle counters (OPC) and a visibility meter, the path-averaged data was provided by a 7-wavelength transmissometer (MSRT) and a scintillometer (BLS). Data was collected at a...

Long-term experiment VERTURM (vertical turbulence measurements): Comparison of measurements and modeling of the vertical distribution of optical turbulence Cn 2 in the surface layer

Operation and design of electro-optical systems are affected by atmospheric turbulence, quantified by refractive structure function parameter Cn 2. The long-term VerTurM experiment at a rural site in Northwestern Germany served to collect an extended dataset of vertical profiles of Cn 2 values up to 64 meters, completed by a characterization of...