Acoustic sounder system design for measurement of optical turbulence and wind profiles

Abstract

An Acoustic Sounder System has been installed on the side of the cliff at North Oscura Peak, WSMR to provide important refractive index structure parameter, Cn2 data for laser propagation tests. The acoustic sounder system records echo information that is used to provide 3D wind and optical turbulence profiles. The received signal is the product of the interaction of the transmitted acoustic pulse with the small scale atmospheric temperature variations. This information is displayed as a time-height display of the signal intensity. The frequency of the received signals are processed and converted into time histories of the horizontal wind field. The data from the Acoustic Sounder is calibrated with the hot-wire anemometer temperature structure parameter (Ct2) data, and meteorological data measured locally to produce the Cn2 profile. The design and location of the Acoustic Sounder System will be discussed along with the methodology of extracting the turbulence. Many days of data have been collected and representative data will be shown.