Abstract

The performance of a future advanced water-vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system is discussed. It is shown that the system has to be a direct-detection system operating in the ρστ band of water vapor in the 940-nm wavelength region. The most important features of the DIAL technique are introduced: its clear-air measurement capability, its flexibility, and its simultaneous high resolution and accuracy. It is demonstrated that such a DIAL system can contribute to atmospheric sciences over a large range of scales and over a large variety of humidity conditions. An extended error analysis is performed, and errors (e.g., speckle noise) are included that previously were not been discussed in detail and that become important for certain system designs and measurement conditions. The applicability of the derived equation is investigated by comparisons with real data. Excellent agreement is found.

© 2001 Optical Society of America

Future performance of ground-based and airborne water-vapor differential absorption lidar. II. Simulations of the precision of a near-infrared, high-power system

Volker Wulfmeyer and Craig Walther
Appl. Opt. 40(30) 5321-5336 (2001)

Ground-based differential absorption lidar for water-vapor and temperature profiling: methodology

Jens Bösenberg
Appl. Opt. 37(18) 3845-3860 (1998)

Ground-based differential absorption lidar for water-vapor profiling: assessment of accuracy, resolution, and meteorological applications

Volker Wulfmeyer and Jens Bösenberg
Appl. Opt. 37(18) 3825-3844 (1998)

Airborne remote sensing of tropospheric water vapor with a near–infrared differential absorption lidar system

G. Ehret, C. Kiemle, W. Renger, and G. Simmet
Appl. Opt. 32(24) 4534-4551 (1993)

Ground-based differential absorption lidar for water-vapor and temperature profiling: development and specifications of a high-performance laser transmitter

Volker Wulfmeyer
Appl. Opt. 37(18) 3804-3824 (1998)