Course Description
This course addresses how to characterize and quantify the major effects of the atmosphere on directed energy weapons propagation. A first principles atmospheric propagation and characterization code called the Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) is described and demonstrated. In addition to overland cloud-free-line of sight (CFLOS) assessments, LEEDR enables the creation of exportable vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor, optical turbulence, and atmospheric particulates/hydrometeors as they relate to line-by-line extinction over the UV to RF portion of the spectrum. CEUs awarded: 0.35
The course outline is as follows:
- Goals of LEEDR
- Overview of HELEEOS - Extension of atmospheric model to RF
- LEEDR Atmospheric Data - Probabilistic Climatology - Atmospheric Boundary layer - Molecular Composition - Aerosol Data - Clouds, Rain - Optical Turbulence - Realistic Correlation
- Example LEEDR Plots & Products
- Installing LEEDR
- Running LEEDR - Accessing the ExPERT Database - Creating Atmospheric Profiles - Figures
- Students are encouraged to attend with a laptop, for which they have administrative rights, so that they may install the LEEDR software and follow along with the demonstrations
US Government personnel and their direct contractors who have program requirements for or are interested in methods and tools to assess realistic environments and environmental effects for modeling and simulation, mission planning, and/or military systems operations. The course assumes the students have some technical background in radiative transfer through the atmosphere--either via an undergraduate degree or career experience.
Instructor Biography
Steven T. Fiorino, Research Associate Professor of Atmospheric Physics (BS, MS, Ohio State University; MMOAS, Air Command and Staff College; BS, PhD, Florida State University). Dr Fiorino's research experience includes microwave remote sensing, evaluating uncertainty in high-energy laser engagement due to atmospheric effects, and improving microphysical characterizations for nuclear fallout, transport, and dispersion.