OPTO-ACOUSTIC RADAR FOR SENSING OF THE ATMOSPHERE

In the present report, a hybrid method of opto-acoustic sensing of the atmosphere is presented and an opto-acoustic radar implementing it is described. In the proposed method, the elemental composition of atmospheric aerosols is determined from the optical spectrum of a laser spark emission, and acoustic radiation is used to measure the number density of micron and submicron aerosol particles, geometrical sizes of the laser spark, spectral acoustic transmission, and temperature and humidity of air.