Analytical model for Rayleigh-Brillouin line shapes in air

Abstract

Atmospheric lidar techniques for the measurement of wind, temperature, and optical properties of aerosols as well as nonintrusive measurement techniques for temperature, density, and bulk velocity in gas flows rely on the exact knowledge of the spectral line shape of the scattered laser light on molecules. A mathematically complex, numerical model (Tenti S6 model) is currently the best model for describing these spectra. In this paper an easy processable, alternative analytical model for describing spontaneous Rayleigh-Brillouin spectra in air at atmospheric conditions is introduced. The deviations between the analytical and Tenti S6 models are shown to be smaller than 0.85%. © 2011 Optical Society of America.