Thought Leadership

Authored by:

• Amber L. Iler, KBR Principal Scientist and ONE KBR Technical Fellow*
• Bobby R. Hunt, KBR Senior Technical Advisor and ONE KBR Senior Technical Fellow*
• David G. Sheppard, KBR Senior Scientist

In this paper, the authors report on the local, statistical behavior of imagery collected in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, expanding on D. L. Fried’s concept of a “Lucky Image.” This is significant because, while the concepts of Lucky Imaging have been applied many times since Fried’s seminal paper, we know of no other publications that have examined the statistical implications for point-spread-functions when an image is “Unlucky.” Those making use of adaptive optics in the astronomical community or for imaging at long slant-ranges will find the derived relationships particularly insightful for use in turbulence mitigation. 

This paper was published by the Optica Publishing Group. Read the full paper here.

*About the ONE KBR Tech Fellow Program

The ONE KBR Tech Fellows Program recognizes and harnesses the capabilities of distinguished technical leaders across the business. The program aims to foster KBR's culture of innovation and knowledge sharing by providing a distinct career opportunity for top science, technology and engineering experts. The program is meant to expand capabilities, fuel collaboration across diverse disciplines, and help attract, mentor, and inspire the next generation of talent to join our team of teams.