A new transient SRS analysis method of aerosols and application to a nonlinear femtosecond lidar

We present simulations of transient stimulated Raman scattering processes (SRS) for aerosol distributions with particles larger than the spatial extent of the ultrashort pump laser pulse. It is shown that this can constitute a new analysis method for transparent spherical aerosol particles, yielding simultaneously size and composition. For the first time, nonlinear treatment of the lidar equation is derived in the general case as well. Our calculations show that application of transient SRS lidar could yield simultaneous remote size and composition measurements of cloud or haze droplets without a priori hypothesis about the microdroplets.