Application of optimal Markov filtering for the optical sounding of the atmosphere

The possibility of using nonlinear Markov filtering for the monopulse single-frequency sounding of temperature profiles and associated meteorological and optical parameters is demonstrated on the basis of a Markov model of vertical temperature fluctuations smoothed by lidar pulses. Filtering and adaptation equations are obtained, and computer simulation is used to study the efficiency of atmospheric sounding by the proposed approach. Attention is given to the application of the proposed technique to the temperature sounding of the lower troposphere using an excimer-laser lidar with Raman scattering in nitrogen.