title: Optical signal path delay fluctuations caused by atmospheric turbulence.
abstract: We report the first direct measurements, to our knowledge, of optical signal path delay fluctuations caused by optical turbulence in the atmosphere. The experiments were based on satellite laser ranging. Our initial motivation was to identify all the random error contributors in satellite laser ranging. We measured and identified the random path fluctuations caused by the atmosphere in the range of units of picoseconds. An appropriate fluctuation model was developed.
authors.affiliation: Czech Technical University in Prague, Brehova Street 7, 115 19 Prague 1, Czech Republic. krall@troja.fjfi.cvut.cz
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kral
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Prochazka
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamal