A Coherent Lidar Simulation Model for Simulating Space-Based and Aircraft-Based Lidar Winds

Abstract

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) seeks reliable measurements of winds in the vicinity of clouds from the perspective of a satellite platform or high altitude aircraft. These wind observations may be used as input to tactical decision aids or assimulated into weather forecast models. There is also interest in making direct wind measurements below clouds by sampling through optically thin gaps. To develop an optimal design concept for such lidar platforms, a simulation model has been developed to address questions of optimum laser wavelength, pulse length, minimum power, scanning strategies, optimal signal processing and wind computation algorithms. This paper presents an operational simulation model (Defense Lidar Simulation Model (DLSM)) for space-based/airborne coherent Doppler lidar wind sounders that produce simulated lidar winds using either global or mesoscale atmospheric model wind fields.