Turbulent lidar measurement technique and comparison with ground-based observations
I.A. Razenkov
V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk, Russia
Keywords: micro pulse lidar, turbulence, backscattering enhancement, photon counting mode
Abstract
The history of the creation of a turbulent lidar at IAO SB RAS began 11 years ago, when, with the help of a bulky laboratory installation, it was first experimentally possible to register the backscatter enhancement (BSE) effect in a turbulent atmosphere. Subsequently, a number of design solutions were proposed to improve the lidar, which made it possible to reduce dimensions and increase reliability. The main features of the lidar design are: the coincidence of the optical axes of the transmitter and receiver; the presence of an additional receiving channel; operation in the photon counting mode with the accumulation of echo signals. The experimental technique using a turbulent lidar, which is a new type of laser locator, is described. An algorithm is given for determining the profile of the structural characteristic of turbulent fluctuations of the refractive index of air from the ratio of echo signals. The experimental verification of the technique was performed and the lidar data were compared with the readings of a solar radiometer and a scintillometer. In the future, the development of turbulent lidar technology will allow remote monitoring of the turbulence intensity in the atmospheric boundary layer from the ground, for example, on the glide path at airports; detecting clear air turbulence (CAT) in advance from aircraft, etc.
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