IMPROVED AEROSOL DISCRIMINATION METHODS FOR ACTIVE OPTICAL FUZING APPLICATIONS

IT IS PROPOSED TO EXAMINE A VARIETY OF AEROSOL DISCRIMINATION TECHNIQUES ESPECIALLY THOSE CONCERNING RECENT WORK ON PULSE SHAPE AND ELECTRONIC SIGNAL PROCESSING TO OBTAIN IMPROVED TARGET DETECTION PERFORMANCE FOR AN ACTIVE OPTICAL FUZE IN AN AEROSOL ENVIRONMENT. BASED ON THIS STUDY A SYSTEM CONCEPT WILL BE DEVELOPED TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPROVED AEROSOL PERFORMANCE THAT IS OBTAINABLE AND THAT RELIABLE TARGET DETECTION IN AN AEROSOL ENVIRONMENT IS FEASIBLE. EXTENSIVE WORK HAS BEEN DONE AND WILL BE REVIEWED IN A DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURAL AEROSOL ENVIRONMENT AND IN TARGET CHARACTERISTICS THAT RELATE TO ACTIVE OPTICAL SENSORS. PAST EFFORTS IN DEVELOPMENT OF AEROSOL RESISTANT ACTIVE OPTICAL SENSORS IS CITED AS WELL AS STUDIES INDICATING ANTICIPATED IMPROVEMENTS THAT MAY BE ACHIEVED WITH INCREASED ELECTRONIC PROCESSING.