RESULTS OF FEASIBILITY ANALYSES INDICATE THAT A PULSED COHERENT CO2 LIDAR SYSTEM IS CAPABLE OF MEASURING THE GLOBAL WIND FIELD.

RESULTS OF FEASIBILITY ANALYSES INDICATE THAT A PULSED COHERENT CO2 LIDAR SYSTEM IS CAPABLE OF MEASURING THE GLOBAL WIND FIELD. CHANGING LASER TECHNOLOGY INDICATES THAT SOLID STATE LASERS MAY ALSO BE CAPABLE OF COHERENT WIND MEASUREMENT. THIS EFFORT WILL DETERMINE THE CAPABILITY OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH LASERS (1-10 MICROMETERS) FOR COHERENT ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS OF WIND, TEMPERATURE, AND WATER VAPOR CONCENTRATION BY USING A DETAILED LIDAR PERFORMANCE COMPUTER SIMULATION. THE LIDAR COMPUTER SIMULATION WILL ALSO BE USED TO STUDY INCOHERENT LIDAR SYSTEM PERFORMANCE OF CLOUD TOP HEIGHTS AND AERSOL BACKSCATTER IN THE EYE-SAFE LASER WAVELENGTH REGIONS. THE SOLID STATE LASER TECHNOLOGY WILL BE REVIEWED IN-DEPTH TO PERFORM A STATE-OF-THEART ASSESSMENT FOR THE LIDAR APPLICATIONS ANALYZED IN THIS STUDY. EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON IDENTIFYING THE LASER TECHNOLOGY IN THE EYE-SAFE INFRARED WAVELENGTHS FOR BOTH COHERENT AND INCOHERENT LIDAR SYSTEMS. RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE MADE ON COMMON LASERS THAT CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY FOR BOTH INCOHERENT AND COHERENT OBSERVATIONS.