Atmospheric backscatter at 10.6 microns; a compendium of measurements made outside the United Kingdom by the airborne LATAS coherent laser radar velocimeter
Abstract
Over 30 hr of airborne measurement of the atmospheric backscatter coefficient Beta(pi) at 10.6 microns for 4 different regions of the Northern Hemisphere outside the UK, at altitudes up to 13 km are reported. The results exhibit great diversity. In several recordings Beta(pi) remains constant within a factor of three over large distances and height intervals; in others over four orders to magnitude change is observed. The value of Beta(pi) rarely falls below the sensitivity limit of the equipment of 2.2 times 10 to the minus 11th power/m/sr. If such findings are typical of the atmosphere as a whole they strongly support the conclusion that airborne laser radars for the measurement of true airspeed, wind shear detection, and warning at low levels have good reliability; and a laser atmospheric wind sounder for global wind field measurement would provide reliable information for a very large fraction of the time.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- May 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987STIN...8819763V
- Keywords:
-
- Airborne Lasers;
- Atmospheric Lasers;
- Atmospheric Scattering;
- Backscattering;
- Optical Radar;
- Radar Measurement;
- Scattering Coefficients;
- Airspeed;
- Laser Applications;
- Velocity Measurement;
- Wind Measurement;
- Wind Shear;
- Lasers and Masers