Development of a Terahertz Typing Toolkit for Interceptor Kill Assessment

A successful intercept of a missile by a kinetic energy kill vehicle initiates a complex sequence of events and associated observable signatures that occur over a very wide range of temporal, spatial, and spectral scales. The signatures contain important information on the lethality of the intercept and on the contents of the warhead (nuclear, biological, or chemical). The program objective is to develop an important MDA capability to enable an end-to-end simulation of the intercept signatures in the terahertz (THz) spectral region. This Terahertz Typing Toolkit (TTT) software will use first principles chemistry and spectroscopy modeling to create a time-dependent signature from the nuclear and non-nuclear components of the expanding intercept debris cloud. The TTT software, which will be designed to assess the feasibility of performing Terahertz warhead typing, will enable modeling of the signal-to-noise/clutter ratio for a variety of engagement scenarios and detection system concepts. Based on the Phase I development and demonstration of an approach for modeling THz absorption and emission spectra from a missile intercept, the development of the TTT would be a significant and innovative first step in the design and implementation of a Terahertz warhead kill assessment and typing system.