Laser sources for an airborne lidar rangefinder

The use of a laser source for airborne lidar experiments is discussed. The solid-state laser source is an Nd(3+)-YAG laser consisting of laser head and feeder section; attention is given to the high- and low-pressure containers, the pumping and resonant cavities, and the LiNbO3 electrooptic crystal. The possibility of using two such laser heads to improve performance in a master oscillator power amplifier configuration is considered. The use of such a laser for aerosol concentration measurements, for second and third harmonic generation, and for dye laser pumping is also discussed, along with possible operational modes of the 1.06 micron generator. In addition, interface with Spacelab is considered, including thermal exchange, shocks and vibration.