Ultraviolet LADAR for tracking explosion plumes and ejecta

The ultraviolet LADAR system was designed, procured, assembled and deployed in the field. The role of the UV LADAR was limited to measuring the altitude of the overhead fiber plume and obtaining a rough estimate of particle concentration. The LADAR system was positioned 487 meters downwind of the fiber release point, and was calibrated using several calibration techniques. The system performed well and returned data for the tests. In these tests the LADAR system was able to determine the altitude range from 137 to 152 meters of the fiber cloud. From the signal-to-noise ratio of the returned echo, it was possible to calculate a density of 1,200 fibers/cu m in the cloud.