0.53 µm Incoherent Doppler Lidar: Current Status

Measurements of the atmospheric wind field have been shown by simulations to improve global numerical weather prediction (Atlas, et al., 1985) and several spaceborne lidar systems have been proposed to meet the global wind measurement requirements. Menzies (1986) has given a comparison of the relative performance of four potential spaceborne Doppler lidar systems utilizing either coherent (heterodyne) detection at 1.06 µm and 9-11 µm wavelengths or incoherent (direct) detection at 0.35 µm and 0.53 µm wavelengths. This paper describes a ground based, 0.53 µm incoherent Doppler lidar and presents preliminary results of atmospheric testing to demonstrate this incoherent Doppler lidar technique.