Vol. 9, issue 08, article # 2

Zhukov A. F., Vostretsov N. A. Relationship between the receiver diameter and the light flux fluctuations in a narrow divergent laser beam propagating through a snowfall. I. Level of fluctuations. // Atmospheric and oceanic optics. 1996. V. 9. No. 08. P. 670-676.    PDF
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Abstract:

This paper presents the measurement results on the level of the radiation intensity fluctuations in the narrow divergent laser beam propagating through a snowfall. The measurements were done along ten paths from 37 m to 2 km long in 122 snowfalls and the receiver diameter of 0.1, 0.8, 3.1, and 25 mm. It was found that the level of fluctuations of the laser radiation flux is related to the receiver diameter, the optical depth, and the maximum size of particles. With increasing optical depth, the flux fluctuations first grow and then saturate at some level depending on the receiver diameter and maximum size of particles. In fine-disperse snowfall, when the maximum size of snow flakes is below 3 mm, the level of fluctuations saturates at lower optical depth, as the receiver diameter increases. The fluctuations of the radiation flux become lower with the increasing receiver diameter and decreasing maximum size of particles.