Computer correction of turbulent distortions of incoherent optical images using multi-aperture systems

Possibilities of enhancing the operational efficiency of optical multiaperture systems in a turbulent atmosphere were studied through numerical simulation. Features of synthesizing an object image as a sum (superposition) of images from every individual aperture were analyzed in the presence of turbulent distortions. The quality of images synthesized by an array of N×N subapertures (N=5–15) was examined. It is shown that turbulent distortions in an image synthesized by many subapertures with allowance made for shifts of subimages at every subaperture are isoplanatic in a wide range of atmospheric conditions. This allows significant improvement of the image quality by means of computer correction. In this case, there is an optimal subaperture size mainly determined by the Fried parameter, which characterizes the degree of turbulent distortions.