A Mobile Atmospheric Profiling System (MAPS)

Abstract

Atmospheric propagation tests in support of electro optics system development frequently require measurement of the atmospheric transmission at discrete frequencies or the average transmission for a finite spectral bandwidth. The conditions of the test may require that measurements be made over horizontal or slant paths, or even that a moving source be tracked. In many tests it is also necessary to acquire slant path atmospheric turbulence data. A measure of the transverse coherence length (ro), isoplanatic angle (θo), and/or turbulence structure constant (Cn2) profile, may be required. In order to address these needs, an extremely versatile Mobile Atmospheric Profiling System (MAPS) has been designed and fabricated. Field tests have been under way for several months and a variety of data has been collected.