Open AccessNear‐ground turbulence profiles from lunar scintillometer
Author(s) -
Tokovinin A.,
Bustos E.,
Berdja A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16367.x
Subject(s) - scintillation , physics , scintillometer , turbulence , remote sensing , moonlight , robustness (evolution) , atmospheric turbulence , data reduction , meteorology , computational physics , optics , detector , geology , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , data mining , gene
A simple and inexpensive six‐channel array of photodiodes, LuSci, can measure weak moonlight scintillation produced by optical turbulence within few hundred metres above the ground. We describe the instrument, its operation and data reduction. Measured covariances of lunar scintillation are fitted to a smooth turbulence profile model with few parameters. Complete recipe for calculating the instrument response (including the effects of Moon's phases) is given. The robustness of the results relative to various experimental factors and model assumptions is investigated. We give examples of the data and compare LuSci with other turbulence profilers. LuSci finds numerous applications in nighttime site testing and monitoring.