Turbulence analysis of maritime horizontal laser propagation: experimental analysis and wave-optics simulation

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years several extensive data sets have been collect ed to characterize horizontal la ser propagation in a maritime environment. We report on data collected on a 1.35-km range over an arm of San Diego Bay. We analyze various atmospheric turbulence features of the op tical propagation data, and we compare th e experimental results with numerical wave-optics simulations. The goals are (a) to extract atmospheric turbulence strength descriptors for the period of record, and (b) to assess the ability of wave-optics simulation to re produce the experimental results. We comment on the degrees of freedom available when comparing simulation and measurement, due to the lack of completely comprehensive measurement data. Keywords: atmospheric turbulence measurement, wave-optics simulation, scintillation, maritime laser propagation 1. INTRODUCTION Research groups sponsored by the U.S. Navy have in recent years collected extensive data on horizontal laser propagation in maritime (and more specifically, littoral) environments. For example, extensive data has been collected at several propagation ranges that span parts of San Diego Bay. Previous reports describing associated experiments and analyses in the overall program have appeared in the literature