Laser reflectance as a function of rough water glitter profile
By: Carlton M. Bourne
Contributors: Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School
Published: 1987
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif
Language: eng
Number of pages: 66
Subjects: Physics
Description: A new remote sensing technique was developed for predicting the expected mean laser radar return from a rough water surface. This technique involved measuring the standard deviations of the upwind and crosswind profiles of the elliptical glitter patterns occurring for illumination of the water surface with a point source near thelaser radar system. A pencil beam laser radar from a companion project simulataneously measured the reflected signals from the water surface. The glitter pattern images were recorded with a video camera and recorder. The images for each run were later digitized along theri major and minor elliptic asxed and averaged over 256 images to produced smooth intensity curvers from which the standard deviations were measured. The radar returen fluctuated over a large range becasue of the rapid variation of individual water surface facets, and so was recorded and time averaged voer the sam interval as the video images. Data sufficient for empirical preduciton of expected mean laser return signal were obtained. This is necessary to permit evaluation of the performance of a given laser radar design. The data obtained als approximated the predictions of a new model proposed in this work.
Notes: "March 1987"

Thesis advisor(s): Crittenden, E. C.

Thesis (M.S. in Physics) Naval Postgraduate School, March 1987.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 65)

"Approved for public release, distribution unlimited." -- Cover.

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US Navy (USN) author.