Modeling and analysis of a high-performance midwave infrared panoramic periscope

Jonathan M. Nichols; James R. Waterman; Raghu P. Menon; John Devitt

doi:10.1117/1.3505866

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1 November 2010 Modeling and analysis of a high-performance midwave infrared panoramic periscope

Jonathan M. Nichols, James R. Waterman, Raghu P. Menon, John Devitt

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Optical Engineering, 49(11), 113202 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3505866

Abstract

A high-resolution midwave infrared panoramic periscope sensor system has been developed. The sensor includes an f/2.5 catadioptric optical system that provides a field of view with 360-deg horizontal azimuth and -10- to +30-deg elevation without requiring moving components (e.g., rotating mirrors). The focal plane is a 2048×2048, 15-µm-pitch InSb detector operating at 80 K. An onboard thermoelectric reference source allows for real-time nonuniformity correction using the two-point correction method. The entire system (detector-Dewar assembly, cooler, electronics, and optics) is packaged to fit in an 8-in.-high, 6.5-in.-diameter volume. This work describes both the system optics and the electronics and presents sample imagery. We model both the sensor's radiometric performance, quantified by the noise-equivalent temperature difference, and its resolution performance. Model predictions are then compared with estimates obtained from experimental data. The ability of the system to resolve targets as a function of imaged spatial frequency is also presented.

©(2010) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

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Jonathan M. Nichols, James R. Waterman, Raghu P. Menon, and John Devitt "Modeling and analysis of a high-performance midwave infrared panoramic periscope," Optical Engineering 49(11), 113202 (1 November 2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3505866

Published: 1 November 2010

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