Una prima misura lidar combinata d'ozono e di vento, a partire da una strumentazione e d'una metodologia colpo per colpo

3 1. Introduction The aim of this paper is to introduce a reader familiar with optoelectronics to the lidar technique. A detailed description of all lidar applications will largely exceed the size at disposal. Anyway, some relevant atmospheric measurements will be discussed in order to illustrate the potential of such instrument. The acronym “lidar” (LIght Detection And Ranging) has been introduced in analogy with “radar” in the context of the pulsed light detectors of clouds [1]. Albeit this term has been suggested well before the discovery of the laser (conceived by Schawlow and Townes in December 1958 and realized by Maiman in July 1960) [2], only with its advent the lidar has spread. The new capabilities offered to the atmospheric studies by this revolutionary source of light have been soon understood and exploited [3-6]. Because of its characteristics (high intensity, small divergence, short pulse duration and excellent monochromaticity) the laser beam is the ideal tool for active optical remote sensing. The measurement, up to many kilometers of height, of density, temperature and humidity of air, the detection of trace gases, the study of clouds, the observation of stratospheric aerosols, the probing of high atmosphere and the monitoring of pollutants are some examples among the possible applications of the lidar [7-10].