The relationships among heterodyne efficiency gamma, number of speckle
cells M, and the ratio of receiver area to coherence area S(R)/S(C) f
or a pulsed coherent laser radar (CLR) are written through the use of
mutual coherence functions. It is shown that numerical values for S(R)
/S(C) that follow Goodman's definition [J. W. Goodman, in Laser Speckl
es and Related Phenomena, J. C. Dainty, ed. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin,
1975), pp. 9-75] or that are obtained through the use of a transverse-
field coherence length agree. In the frame of the Gaussian model propo
sed by Frehlich and Kavaya [Appl. Opt. 30, 5325 (1991)] a new equation
is derived: M = (1 + S(R)/S(C)). This equation agrees with our experi
mental results. Our theoretical analysis shows that the number of spec
kle cells for an optimal monostatic CLR system is M approximately 4. A
n experiment has been conducted with a ground-based pulsed CO2 LIDAR a
nd remote hard targets to study the probability density function of LI
DAR returns as a function of M and to study the dependence of M on S(R
)/S(C). An assessment of CLR performance through the use of M or the c
ollecting aperture S(R) is discussed.