Impact of various flow-fields on laser beam propagation

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how the aircraft flow field affects the laser beam wavefront in an optical point-topoint link. We study various flow fields highlighting the different distortions that are created. The subject of the manuscript is twofold. Firstly, we study the steady laminar incompressible flow around an ellipse and secondly we assume a sphere as a flying object and we present simulated results for various types of flow, from laminar to turbulent, as the speed of the sphere is increasing. Furthermore we examine the performance of the distortions along the altitude, when density is getting smaller. Employing the above methology, we have presented one ‘realistic’ simulation scenario of an aircraft that communicates through an optical link.