We present a physics-based model for analysis of atmospheric turbulence and aerosol scattering effects on imaging of remote extended objects under daylight and laser illumination. The technique is based on joint solution of the parabolic wave equation and equation for the brightness function. Turbulent distortions are simulated with the use of the conventional phase-screen approach. Scattering effects are accounted for by representing the aerosol medium by a set of aerosol screens. The coherent and incoherent components of the scattered field are obtained in the single scattering approximation at each aerosol screen. In addition, a simplified model considering the natural background radiation effect on the contrast of an image formed is discussed. Numerical simulation results are presented.

Date Published: 20 September 2016
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 9982, Unconventional Imaging and Wavefront Sensing XII, 99820D (20 September 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2239024

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9982:
Unconventional Imaging and Wavefront Sensing XII
Jean J. Dolne; Thomas J. Karr; David C. Dayton, Editor(s)