Accession Number:

ADA516498

Title:

Passive Ranging Using Infra-Red Atmospheric Attenuation

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Personal Author(s):

• Macdonald, Douglas J.

Report Date:

2010-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

66.0

Abstract:

Methods of estimating range to an emissive target based on the depth of an atmospheric absorption band are demonstrated. The present work uses measurements of the CO2 absorption band centered at 2.0 microns where signal-to-background ratios are maximum for many applications. Model results, based on high-resolution transmission molecular absorption HITRAN database cross sections, are used to predict range accuracy at ranges of up to 50 km and are compared with short range 5km experimental results. The spectra of 23 high explosive events were used to validate the model. Using the assumption of a blackbody spectrum, extracted ranges consistently underestimated the true range by approximately 13. By incorporating the stoichiometry of the fireball from previous research and using particulate contribution as a parameter, the error for the range estimates could be reduced to 3.

Descriptors:

• *PASSIVE SYSTEMS
• *RANGE FINDING
• *INFRARED RADIATION
• TARGETS
• HIGH RESOLUTION
• ABSORPTION
• RANGE(DISTANCE)
• RADIO TRANSMISSION
• MOLECULAR PROPERTIES
• REMOTE DETECTION
• ATMOSPHERIC ATTENUATION
• STOICHIOMETRY
• THESES
• HIGH EXPLOSIVES
• DATA BASES
• METHODOLOGY

Subject Categories:

• Operations Research
• Infrared Detection and Detectors
• Target Direction, Range and Position Finding

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE