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Research article2019Peer reviewed

First Polarimetric Investigation of Malaria Mosquitoes as Lidar Targets

Jansson, Samuel; Atkinson, Peggy; Ignell, Rickard; Brydegaard, Mikkel

Abstract

In this paper, we use a novel spectral polarimetric optical tomographic imaging goniometer to investigate the scattering properties of Anopheles malaria mosquitoes to aid in their detection and identification in entomological lidar applications. Mosquitoes were mounted on a turn table, on which they were illuminated from different angles with linearly polarized near-infrared light and rotated. Thus, aspect-dependent optical cross sections were retrieved in backscatter and extinction mode. The backscattering and extinction properties of male and female mosquitoes were further condensed into a pair of parameters. We investigate the wings and bodies of mosquitoes together and independently, and conclude that the wings of mosquitoes strongly scatter copolarized light and that the degree of linear polarization of light scattered by insect bodies is independent of the aspect. In lidar measurements, light scattered by insect wings can he separated from light scattered by insect bodies due to the oscillatory wing beats. Therefore, obtaining the scattering properties of bodies and wings independently is of particular interest. Finally, we conclude that 808 nm light is well suited for detecting specular reflexes produced by Anopheles wings, which has large implications for the design of entomological lidar instruments used to study malaria mosquitoes.

Keywords

Imaging; laser radar; polarization; tomography

Published in

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics
2019, Volume: 25, number: 1, article number: 7201808
Publisher: IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG3 Good health and well-being

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Ecology
    Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2018.2859225

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/96431