OPTICAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AND ATMOSPHERE ATTENUATION

Earl J. McCartney

Peer Reviewed

Abstract: Many Navigation and guidance methods depend upon detecting optical wavelength energy along an atmospheric line of sight. Atmospheric attenuation, resulting from absorption and scattering, is the variable parameter which often governs performance of opticalmethods. llbsorption usually is negligible in the visible spectrum, but is prohibitive in the infrared except at certain wavelengths. Scattering by molecules is significant at visible wavelengths. Scattering by haze, fog, and cloud particles is important at all optical wavelengths, and frequently precludes operation over a desired distance. These attenuation phenomena are analyzed in terms of weather conditions; transmission factors then are derived and resented graphically.
Published in: NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 14, Number 2
Pages: 218 - 228
Cite this article: McCartney, Earl J., "OPTICAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AND ATMOSPHERE ATTENUATION", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 14, No. 2, Summer 1967, pp. 218-228.
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