Heterodyne Doppler Lidar Using Pseudonoise Code

A low-power, miniature Doppler lidar instrument is being developed for use in measuring opacity (from dust) and wind profiles in the Martian atmosphere. The instrument could also be used on Earth to measure turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer, for assessments of urban and regional air quality, and perhaps for studying aircraft wing-tip vortices. The instrument is being designed to measure wind velocity component along its line of sight with a precision of 1 m/s and to perform ranging at distances from 3 km to a maximum of 10 km (or less, depending on the concentration of airborne dust).