Pulsed Compression for Aerosol Ranging with Coherent Pulse-Doppler Lidar Systems

This thesis provides a thorough review of conventional matched filter radar theory as it applies to aerosol sensing lidar. Basic matched-filter radar theory and the complex, dense aerosol target model eventually lead to a general derivation of the matched-filter radar receiver response to a dense aerosol target environment. The matched-filter response is obtained in terms of a two dimensional convolution of the target scattering function and the radar ambiguity function. The range and radial velocity resolution of various radar signals were compared using the matched-filter radar receiver and scattering function models. Pulse compression radar signals were compared to the simple radar pulses currently in use with existing lidar systems, and in each case, the pulse compression radar signal did not provide a significant improvement in combined range and radial velocity resolution.