Mathematical Modeling of Laser Propagation through the Earth's Atmosphere (Fredrick Thomas, University of Central Florida)

Abstract: In recent years, much advancement has been made in the field of laser communication.to its emphasis on smaller, less-power intensive equipment, higher data rates, and more secure channels (compared to radio waves). However, these benefits come at a price; more susceptibility to signal degradation due to the laser traveling through the Earth's atmosphere. optical free space communication, LADAR (i.e., laser radar), and remote sensing, how the laser reacts due to atmospheric turbulence needs to be accurately modeled. An overview of optical wave propagation theory is presented, starting from the time-independent stochastic Helmholtz equation, and various solutions are discussed, with emphasis on the Rytov approximation, a way to approximate a nonlinear PDE by a linear PDE via perturbation methods.

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This is an abstract of a poster to be presented at the 2004 SEAMS Workshop in Charleston, SC. For more information, visit the workshop's homepage at math.cofc.edu/SEAMS.