Explore the newest techniques and technologies used to mitigate the effects of air flow over airborne laser platforms

Aero-Optical Effects: Physics, Analysis and Mitigation delivers a detailed and insightful introduction to aero-optics and fully describes the current understanding of the physical causes of aero-optical effects from turbulent flows at different speeds. In addition to presenting a thorough discussion of instrumentation, data reduction, and data analysis, the authors examine various approaches to aero-optical effect mitigation using both flow control and adaptive optics approaches.

The book explores the sources, characteristics, measurement approaches, and mitigation means to reduce aero-optics wavefront error. It also examines the precise measurements of aero-optical effects and the instrumentation of aero-optics. Flow control for aero-optical applications is discussed, as are approaches like passive flow control, active and hybrid flow control, and closed-loop flow control.

Readers will benefit from discussions of the applications of aero-optics in relation to fields like directed energy and high-speed communications. Readers will also enjoy a wide variety of useful features and topics, including:

• Comprehensive discussions of both aero-effects, which include the effects that air flow has over a beam director mounted on an aircraft, and aero-optics, which include atmospheric effects that degrade the ability of an airborne laser to focus a beam
• A treatment of air buffeting and its effects on beam stabilization and jitter
• An analysis of mitigating impediments to the use of high-quality laser beams from aircraft as weapons or communications systems
• Adaptive optics compensation for aero-optical disturbances

Perfect for researchers, engineers, and scientists involved with laser weapon and beam control systems, Aero-Optical Effects: Physics, Analysis and Mitigation will also earn a place in the libraries of principal investigators in defense contract work and independent research and development.