Atmospheric Turbulence Measurement System

In this Phase I SBIR a totally new, non intrusive optical method for making fundamental atmospheric turbulence measurements will be investigated. A correlation between the movement of a pair of thin beams is used to define the inner and outer scale size independent of any assumed turbulence model and to calculate the index of refraction coefficient. During the effort, extensions will be made to the underlying theory to adapt it to upper atmosphere ambient conditions and to determine the effect of a moving measurement platform. Once completed the models will be exercised to define the usable operating envelope. A set of laboratory experiments will then be accomplished that demonstrate the application of the technique to a moving platform and to demonstrate its use as a three dimensional measurement tool. From these results two conceptual designs for a dual thin beam atmospheric turbulence measurement system will be completed; one will operate from a balloon platform, the other from an aircraft.