Atmospheric and Platform Jitter Effects on Laser Acquisition Patterns (PREPRINT)
Abstract
Several applications exist that require the acquisition or a distant target by illuminating it with a laser source, either cooperatively or non-cooperatively. Because of the uncertainties that exist in the knowledge of the target's position as well as the transmitting vehicles attitude, this acquisition process often involves scanning a laser beam over some uncertainty cone. The parameters of this scan can be adjusted to provide an acceptable intensity pattern within the uncertainty region. However, disturbances in the form of uncompensated platform jitter, atmospheric scintillation, and aero-optical effects due to boundary layer turbulence (if the transmitting terminal is located on a moving platform) combine to distort the desired pattern in the far field. A detailed simulation of the first two of these processes is developed and used as the basis for a trade study to show how to optimize the search parameters and maximize the probability of detection for a given set of disturbance inputs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA444785
Entities
People
- Brian S. Engberg
- Charles W. Hindman
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory