A LONG RANGE OPTICAL SCIENTILLOMETER FOR ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTIVE TURBULENCE

THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE WHICH WILL MEASURE PATH-AVERAGED ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE INTENSITY OF A 3-KILOMETER OR LONGER HORIZONTAL PATH. THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE IS BASED ON A MODIFICATION OF THE EXISTING OPTICAL SCINTILLOMETER FOR TURBULENCE MEASUREMENT DEVELOPED BY WAVE PROPAGATION LABORATORY OF NOAA. THE OLD SCINTILLOMETER WAS DESIGNED TO OPERATE UP TO 1 KM ONLY. HOWEVER, WITH THE HELP OF LARGER TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING APARTURES, A SECOND GENERATION OPTICAL SCINTILLOMETER IS ABLE TO MEASURE ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE INTENSITY OF 3 KM OR LONGER. THE INSTRUMENT WILL PROVIDE REAL-TIME CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENTS OF TURBULENCE INTENSITY IN THE FIELD OPERATION; ALTHOUGH FOG AND SMOKE MAY OCCASIONALLY INTERRUPT THE MEASUREMENTS, THE INSTRUMENT IS INSENSITIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ACOUSTIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC NOISES. IT IS COMPACT FOR EACY TRANSPORTING AND OPERATION.