Photonic propagation technologies: Artificial star generation by stratospheric Rayleigh scattering

Abstract

The first domestic experiment of artificial star generation by stratospheric Rayleigh scattering was conducted successfully. The artificial star generation system utilizes a 1.5 m-diameter telescope of CRL for transmitting a laser beam to illuminate the atmosphere and for receiving back-scattered light. The light source of transmission used is the second harmonics of a pulse-oscillating Nd:YAG laser. Images of back-scattered light from various distances (altitudes) acquired in this experiment are analyzed from the viewpoint of their structures of image intensity distribution. Results of the analyses show that images of back-scattered light from distances over about 12 km have characteristic structures due to speckles similar to those of Polaris as a reference, and proved to be applicable as artificial stars.