Optical cross section

Optical cross section (OCS) is a value which describes the maximum amount of optical flux reflected back to the source. The standard unit of measurement is m²/sr. OCS is dependent on the geometry and the reflectivity at a particular wavelength of an object. Optical cross section is useful in fields such as LIDAR. In the field of radar this is referred to as radar cross-section. Objects such as license plates on automobiles have a high optical cross section to maximize the laser return to the speed detector gun.

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