Stressing Atmospheric Clutter Radiance Models

The atmosphere adversely impacts infrared target detection systems. In particular, atmospheric absorption reduces the intensity of detected target signatures, bright atmospheric backgrounds reduce target/background contrast, temporal and spatial atmospheric structures confuse target detection algorithms. Validated atmospheric background radiance models that include stressing structure are needed for surveillance system performance studies and simulations. Spectral Sciences Inc. proposes to develop a response function technique which will facilitate rapid generation of radiance scenes and line of sight radiances for target trajectories through structured atmospheres. The Phase I effort will provide an assessment of impact on sensor performance of aurora, sprites, polar mesospheric clouds, stratospheric warmings, thermal inversions, gravity waves and mesospheric bores. A methodology for generating radiance scenes will be established and plans for implementation and validation will be identified. Phase I will provide the basis for the Phase II work of validation and full implementation into SAMM and BEST of the models of the most stressful phenomena.