A simple approach for estimating the refractive index structure parameter (Cn²) profile in the atmosphere

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric physics and optics
• Remote sensing and turbulence modeling

Background:

• Accurate estimation of atmospheric turbulence, quantified by the refractive index structure parameter (Cn2), is crucial for optical astronomy and atmospheric studies.
• Existing methods for Cn2 profiling often require complex instrumentation or high-resolution atmospheric data, limiting their widespread application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a physically-based, computationally inexpensive approach for estimating Cn2 profiles in the lower atmosphere.
• To demonstrate the capability of the proposed method to capture layers of significant optical turbulence using readily available temperature profiles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Thorpe scale as a metric for the turbulence outer scale.
• Developed a novel Cn2 estimation technique requiring only coarse-resolution temperature profiles (soundings) as input.
• Validated the approach using observational data from a field campaign conducted on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Main Results:

• The proposed method successfully estimated Cn2 profiles from coarse temperature soundings.
• The approach demonstrated an intrinsic ability to identify and characterize layers with high optical turbulence.
• Validation against field campaign data confirmed the efficacy of the new estimation technique.

Conclusions:

• A physically-based, computationally inexpensive method for Cn2 profiling using temperature soundings has been successfully developed and validated.
• This approach offers a practical solution for estimating optical turbulence, particularly in identifying turbulent layers, with potential applications in adaptive optics and atmospheric monitoring.