High-resolution long-range oblique IR imaging from an airborne platform

Vladimir Petrushevsky

doi:10.1117/12.687343

5 October 2006 High-resolution long-range oblique IR imaging from an airborne platform

Vladimir Petrushevsky

Proceedings Volume 6395, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications III; 63950O (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.687343
Event: Optics/Photonics in Security and Defence, 2006, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

Large-aperture, high-resolution medium-wave IR sensors are applied for oblique imaging from a variety of airborne platforms. Applicable optical configurations include both reflective (aplanatic Cassegrain) and refractive devices. In the former case the MWIR typically complements a primary EO band, with a common front objective and a dichroic beam splitter. ELOP's successful Condor2 LOROP camera is an example of such configuration. The camera provides consistent EO and IR performance at long stand-off ranges from a high-altitude fast jet platform. The long range oblique IR imaging represents a particularly complex case for system analysis and performance prediction. Atmospheric attenuation changes significantly as a function of altitude and line-of-sight depression angle. Temperature of the camera optics may vary in wide bounds and could differ substantially from the target temperature. Pixel pitch, optical transmittance and (in case of Cassegrain optics) a ratio of central obscuration all have a strong effect onto the resolution performance. The paper presents a normalized multi-parametric performance study where the resolved spatial frequency is expressed as a fraction of the optical cutoff frequency. The major dependencies of the resolution on the key parameters are illustrated. The analysis includes a relatively wide range of variation of the design parameters, covering most of the feasible reflective and refractive optical configurations.

Citation Download Citation

Vladimir Petrushevsky "High-resolution long-range oblique IR imaging from an airborne platform", Proc. SPIE 6395, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications III, 63950O (5 October 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.687343

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