Detection of small targets in the infrared: an infrared search and track tutorial

Ronald Driggers; Eytan Pollak; Robert Grimming; Ectis Velazquez; Robert Short; Gerald Holst; Orges Furxhi

doi:10.1364/AO.424767

Applied Optics
Vol. 60,
Issue 16,
pp. 4762-4777
(2021)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.424767

Detection of small targets in the infrared: an infrared search and track tutorial

Ronald Driggers, Eytan Pollak, Robert Grimming, Ectis Velazquez, Robert Short, Gerald Holst, and Orges Furxhi

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Ronald Driggers, Eytan Pollak, Robert Grimming, Ectis Velazquez, Robert Short, Gerald Holst, and Orges Furxhi, "Detection of small targets in the infrared: an infrared search and track tutorial," Appl. Opt. 60, 4762-4777 (2021)

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Abstract

Airborne target detection in the infrared has been classically known as infrared search and track or IRST. From a military point of view, it can be described as target detection at long ranges where the target image is subpixel in size. Here, the target is “unresolved.” It can also describe the detection of aircraft near the observer using distributed apertures in a spherical detection field. From a commercial point of view, an important application is drone detection near live airport operations. As drones become more common, the dual-use functionality of IRST systems is expanding. Technology improvements for IRST systems include the wide proliferation of infrared staring focal planes. New readout integrated circuits allow for time-delay-integration of large format detectors. Stare-step sensors in the future appear to be as common as gimbal-scanned thermal imagers. Detection probability analysis and IRST sensor design is different than targeting system design. We provide a tutorial here on IRST system calculations as well as discussions on broadband versus spectral calculations and new technology considerations.

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Data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Parameter	Value
Material	Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT)
Detector pitch	15 µm
Fill factor	100%
Format	4000 by 4000 (detectors)
Field of view	70° by 70°
Band	8.0–10.1 µm
Well capacity	12 million electrons
Dark current	$6.1 \times 10^{- 7} A / {c m}^{2}$
Read noise	1000 electrons
Quantum efficiency
Frame rate	60 Hz
Focal length	4.25 cm ( $F = 1.5$ )
	5.09 cm ( $F = 1.8$ )
Aperture diameter	2.83 cm
Optical transmission
Integration time	1.7 ms max or 65% of well capacity

Range (km)	BG Radiance ( $m W / {c m}^{2} - s r$ )	Tgt Radiance ( $m W / {c m}^{2} - s r$ )	Diff. Radiance ( $m W / {c m}^{2} - s r$ )	Transmission (unitless)	Diff. Irradiance ( $p W / {c m}^{2}$ )	NEI ( $p W / {c m}^{2}$ )	SNR (unitless)
10	0.113	4.40	4.287	0.895	271.0	0.467	580.2
20	0.097	4.40	4.303	0.840	63.9	0.467	136.7
30	0.086	4.40	4.314	0.801	27.1	0.467	58.1
40	0.077	4.40	4.323	0.771	14.7	0.467	31.5
50	0.070	4.40	4.330	0.746	9.1	0.467	19.5
60	0.064	4.40	4.336	0.725	6.2	0.467	13.2
70	0.060	4.40	4.340	0.707	4.4	0.467	9.5
80	0.056	4.40	4.344	0.691	3.3	0.467	7.1
90	0.052	4.40	4.348	0.677	2.6	0.467	5.5
100	0.049	4.40	4.351	0.665	2.0	0.467	4.4

Parameter	Value
Material	Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT)
Detector pitch	15 µm
Fill factor	100%
Format	4000 by 4000 (detectors)
Field of view	70° by 70°
Band	8.0–10.1 µm
Well capacity	12 million electrons
Dark current	$6.1 \times 10^{- 7} A / {c m}^{2}$
Read noise	1000 electrons
Quantum efficiency
Frame rate	60 Hz
Focal length	4.25 cm ( $F = 1.5$ )
	5.09 cm ( $F = 1.8$ )
Aperture diameter	2.83 cm
Optical transmission
Integration time	1.7 ms max or 65% of well capacity

Range (km)	BG Radiance ( $m W / {c m}^{2} - s r$ )	Tgt Radiance ( $m W / {c m}^{2} - s r$ )	Diff. Radiance ( $m W / {c m}^{2} - s r$ )	Transmission (unitless)	Diff. Irradiance ( $p W / {c m}^{2}$ )	NEI ( $p W / {c m}^{2}$ )	SNR (unitless)
10	0.113	4.40	4.287	0.895	271.0	0.467	580.2
20	0.097	4.40	4.303	0.840	63.9	0.467	136.7
30	0.086	4.40	4.314	0.801	27.1	0.467	58.1
40	0.077	4.40	4.323	0.771	14.7	0.467	31.5
50	0.070	4.40	4.330	0.746	9.1	0.467	19.5
60	0.064	4.40	4.336	0.725	6.2	0.467	13.2
70	0.060	4.40	4.340	0.707	4.4	0.467	9.5
80	0.056	4.40	4.344	0.691	3.3	0.467	7.1
90	0.052	4.40	4.348	0.677	2.6	0.467	5.5
100	0.049	4.40	4.351	0.665	2.0	0.467	4.4

Abstract

Data Availability

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Tables (2)

Equations (41)

Applied Optics