Atmospheric effects on laser eye safety and damage to instrumentation

Arkadi Zilberman, Natan S. Kopeika

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Electro-optical sensors as well as unprotected human eyes are extremely sensitive to laser radiation and can be permanently damaged from direct or reflected beams. Laser detector/eye hazard depends on the interaction between the laser beam and the media in which it traverses. The environmental conditions including terrain features, atmospheric particulate and water content, and turbulence, may alter the laser's effect on the detector/eye. It is possible to estimate the performance of an electro-optical system as long as the atmospheric propagation of the laser beam can be adequately modeled. More recent experiments and modeling of atmospheric optics phenomena such as inner scale effect, aperture averaging, atmospheric attenuation in NIR-SWIR, and Cn2 modeling justify an update of previous eye/detector safety modeling. In the present work, the influence of the atmospheric channel on laser safety for personnel and instrumentation is shown on the basis of theoretical and experimental data of laser irradiance statistics for different atmospheric conditions. A method for evaluating the probability of damage and hazard distances associated with the use of laser systems in a turbulent atmosphere operating in the visible and NIR-SWIR portions of the electromagnetic spectrum is presented. It can be used as a performance prediction model for directed energy engagement of ground-based or air-based systems.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationElectro-Optical and Infrared Systems
Subtitle of host publicationTechnology and Applications XIV
EditorsDavid A. Huckridge, Reinhard Ebert, Helge Bursing
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510613300
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2017
EventElectro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XIV 2017 - Warsaw, Poland
Duration: 13 Sep 201714 Sep 2017

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume10433
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceElectro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XIV 2017
Country/TerritoryPoland
CityWarsaw
Period13/09/1714/09/17

Keywords

  • atmospheric turbulence
  • damage probability
  • laser safety
  • scintillations

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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