Infrared turbulence-degraded image simulation based on atmospheric optical turbulence transmission characteristics

Infrared image degradation caused by atmospheric turbulence is one of the key research areas in infrared image simulation. Such degradation—manifested as image distortion and blurring—is prevalent in infrared imaging systems, particularly during long-distance imaging, and significantly limits the detection range and accuracy of infrared systems. Current turbulence simulation methods often rely on computationally intensive 3D numerical models, which are time-consuming and costly, making them unsuitable for real-time engineering applications.To address this, we propose a fast simulation model for infrared image turbulence degradation based on atmospheric turbulence propagation theory. The model is designed to support algorithm development and real-time restoration research for turbulence-degraded infrared images. We introduce the theoretical foundations of atmospheric optical turbulence, a blurring degradation model based on the turbulence modulation transfer function (MTF), and a distortion degradation model based on angle-of-arrival fluctuation theory. Quantitative analysis of the simulated turbulence-degraded images is also presented.The proposed simulation model effectively reproduces both blurring and distortion effects, generating degradation results that closely resemble real infrared turbulence-degraded images. Additionally, it offers low computational cost and strong practical applicability, making it well-suited for infrared imaging system evaluation and algorithm development.