Application limitations of a laser guide star in adaptive optoelectronic systems caused by its jitter in the atmosphere

Abstract

Application limitations caused by the jitter of a laser guide star used for the compensation of atmospheric phase distortions are considered for Earth-based adaptive optoelectronic systems for the observation of natural and artificial space objects. The spatial coherence radii (Fried parameter) for which a laser beam remains within the isoplanatic angle under the jitter effect during guide star formation are estimated using locally homogeneous and isotropic atmospheric turbulence models. Beam deflections in two mutually orthogonal directions are considered to be distributed normally, and the probability of the beam remaining within the isoplanatic angle is considered to be subject to the Rayleigh law. The angular divergence of the deflected beam is estimated for a short exposure with a duration less than the atmosphere freezing time for the far and near fields of the emitting laser aperture.