Crosswind profile sensing using turbulence-induced scintillation on a round-trip propagation path

Abstract

Analysis of turbulence-induced scintillation on a round-trip propagation path was performed. A simplified equation for the cross-covariance of intensity fluctuations on a round-trip path was derived. This equation was validated both experimentally over a 1 km horizontal path and using a wave-optics simulation. An analytical solution was obtained for a non-linear integral equation relating the crosswind velocity profile to a spatial–temporal cross-covariance of intensity fluctuations observed in the laser return. A method for crosswind profile reconstruction using an optical sensor with varying beam divergence was developed and experimentally demonstrated. A portable, battery-powered optical wind sensor with fixed beam divergence suitable for mounting on a riflescope was constructed and field-demonstrated in live fire tests. Results of the live fire tests validated the proposed method.

KEYWORDS:

• Atmospheric turbulence
• propagation
• scintillation measurements
• crosswind profile reconstruction
• bullet deflection correction

Acknowledgements

Special appreciation is extended to Timothy Brinkley, Kevin Hughes, and Kyle Watson at Trex for help with field testing, data analysis, performing a wave-optics simulation, developing the inversion algorithm for crosswind profile reconstruction from scintillation measurements, as well as Tony Maryfield at Cubic for leading the OSXG effort, prototype design and fabrication and providing help with the live fire tests.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by Trex Enterprises Corporation under an IR&D program and DARPA under contract No. HR0011-12-C-0088, subcontract A97414.