Probability of getting a lucky short-exposure image through turbulence*
Abstract
In short-exposure imaging through turbulence, there is some probability that the image will be nearly diffraction-limited because the instantaneous wave-front distortion over the aperture is negligible. Hufnagel (1966) argued heuristically that the probability of obtaining a good image would decrease exponentially with aperture area. The present paper attempts a quantitative analysis of this probability. It is found that the probability of obtaining a good short-exposure image is roughly 5.6 exp/-0.1557 (D/r sub 0)-squared/ (for D/r sub 0 not less than 3.5), where D is the aperture diameter and r sub 0 is the coherence length of the distorted wave front as defined by Fried (1967).
- Publication:
-
Journal of the Optical Society of America (1917-1983)
- Pub Date:
- December 1978
- DOI:
- 10.1364/JOSA.68.001651
- Bibcode:
- 1978JOSA...68.1651F
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Turbulence;
- Imaging Techniques;
- Probability Theory;
- Turbulence Effects;
- Wave Front Deformation;
- Apertures;
- Atmospheric Optics;
- Error Analysis;
- Exposure;
- Performance Prediction;
- Optics