kURT, k-distribution based Ultra-fast Radiation Transport

The design of electro-optical sensors increasingly relies on simulation models to predict performance in a wide variety of scenarios. The purpose of this SBIR program, dubbed kURT (k-distribution based Ultra-fast Radiative Transfer), is to develop very fast and accurate radiative transfer (RT) routines for incorporation in Army Research Laboratory (ARL) scene simulation software, building on the established capabilities of MODTRAN but with several orders of magnitude improvement in speed. The key technical innovation is the use of a MODTRAN-derived, bandpass-tailored k-distribution. In the highly successful Phase I program, speed and accuracy goals have been achieved for calculating 3-5 µm region transmittance, and approaches have been developed for full Phase II implementation of the software in the visible to far-IR, including solar and thermal radiance capabilities. The Phase II objectives include (1) extension to arbitrary bandpasses, (2) development of a software library of subroutines and functions for accessing the calculations from main programs in various computer languages, and (3) integration into other DoD simulation codes. The work will be performed by Spectral Sciences, Inc. in collaboration with Research Systems, Inc., Photon Research Associates, and Kinetics, Inc., who will perform code integration and evaluation.