Unified sensor for atmospheric turbulence and refractivity characterization

MZA partnered with the Michigan Technological University (MTU) proposes to develop an atmospheric characterization sensor which unifies the measurement of atmospheric turbulence and refractivity through target-in-the-loop measurements, requiring no augmentation of the target or equipment on the other end of the path. We image multi-wavelength target illumination and remove atmospheric blurring using multi-frame blind deconvolution (MFBD) to resolve the illuminator scintillation and provide initial estimates of turbulence strength parameters. By processing the statistical properties of the multi-wavelength illumination, path-resolved turbulence strength and atmospheric refractivity is measured. Our approach is intended to avoid complex sensors and illuminator schemes and instead apply advanced image processing to exploit turbulence propagation phenomenology to measure both turbulence and refractivity. We will conduct wave-optics simulation during Phase I to quantify the accuracy of this technique, addressing illumination and target imaging requirements, in addition to optical and sensor configurations enabling robust operation. MZA will leverage its existing hardware, data acquisition, and processing designs for its commercial-grade turbulence diagnostic systems to develop a conceptual design for the unified turbulence/refractivity sensor which will be built and tested during Phase II.