Small Footprint LIDAR for Continuous Monitoring of Atmospheric State Variables

As Navy operations change from open ocean to littoral regions, the impact of environmental effects on battlespace awareness increases. Defending against threats such as cruise missiles can be complicated by atmospheric effects that may change quickly in littoral regions. Evaporative ducts and related phenomena can affect propagation of not only radar but other RF systems. Improving the capability for monitoring the atmosphere will increase the effectiveness of Navy systems. Physical Sciences Inc., in collaboration with its subsidiary Q-Peak Inc., proposes to develop an advanced, compact Raman Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) capable of continuous, automated profiling of atmospheric parameters, including pressure, temperature and relative humidity, over ranges of 5 to 500 m at a spatial resolution of 1 m and temporal resolution of 1s. State of the art miniaturized laser designs enable a sensor footprint on the order a few cubic feet. The Phase I program will develop conceptual designs for the lidar. The Phase I Program Option will perform additional engineering design to integrate the sensor into the designated demonstration platform. The Phase II Program will develop and test a field-worthy prototype sensor. The Phase III Program will integrate and test the prototype on a designated Navy platform.