Extinction coefficient determination using target reflectance measurements

Laboratory measurements are reported for optical extinction at a wavelength of 1.06 microm in water droplet clouds. The extinction coefficient, sigma(T), is determined using the two-way attenuation of a target reflected signal and comparing it to the extinction coefficient sigma determined by a single-pass transmission measurement. As well as solid targets, layers of the clouds have been used as a reflector by employing a selective chopping method to provide range-resolved backscattering information and replicate in the laboratory a lidar configu-ration. It is found that multiple scattering can lead to substantial differences between sigma(T) and sigma and that these differences depend upon the properties of the scattering medium and the target as well as on the field of view of the backscatter receiver used for the reflectance measurements. By keeping the field of view very small, the two methods of measuring the extinction coefficient give the same values.