Howard Hyman

Stokes phase preservation during Raman amplification

Experiments have been performed to measure the degree to which the phase information on an input Stokes beam can be preserved in a hydrogen Raman amplifier in the presence of phase and intensity nonuniformities on the pump beam. The experiments were conducted at Fresnel numbers of about 40 and at amplified Stokes fluences of up to 3.4 J cm−2. Astigmatism and focus on the pump did not transfer to the Stokes, and astigmatism on the input Stokes was maintained during amplification. Strong, ordered intensity nonuniformities on the pump beam resulted in large wave-front errors on the amplified Stokes, possibly due to a self-focusing effect. A more uniform pump resulted in an amplified Stokes beam quality of 1.2 times the diffraction limit.

Counter sniper: a small projectile and gunfire localization system

This paper describes a prototype sensor system for detection and 3D tracking of bullets and other small projectiles. The intended purpose of the system is to rapidly locate a sniper to a few meters accuracy at ranges to 1 km in three dimensions. The system detects and tracks a single bullet, and based on the measured 3D trajectory, backtracks to the sniper location. Details of the system are describe including optics, infrared camera, scanning system, laser ranging system, computer control and electronics, and data reduction algorithm. The system has been field tested against bullets, and has been shown to locate a sniper to a few meters accuracy at 500 meters range. Plans for improving tracking performance are also described.

Surveillance, detection, and 3D infrared tracking of bullets, rockets, mortars, and artillery

We describe test results using the FIRST (Fast InfraRed Sniper Tracker) to detect, track, and range to bullets in flight for determining the location of the bullet launch point. The technology developed for the FIRST system can be used to provide detection and accurate 3D track data for other small threat objects including rockets, mortars, and artillery in addition to bullets. We discuss the radiometry and detection range for these objects, and discuss the trade-offs involved in design of the very fast optical system for acquisition, tracking, and ranging of these targets.

Recent laser radar field-test results gathered with the rapid optical beam steering (ROBS) system

We present a summary of recent imagery and tracking measurements made with the ROBS laser radar system operating at White Sands Missile Range. The ROBS instrument utilizes a 0.5 meter aperture optical system, 3 - 5 micron imaging cameras, and a coherent CO2 laser radar for range and Doppler measurements. The optical system is based on a roving fovea design, which enables signal target tracking over large angles at high track update rate, and rapid retargeting between multiple targets. Results of several field measurements are presented.

MWIR adaptive optics system for imaging missile defense tests using the 3.7-m AEOS telescope

We are currently building a custom adaptive optics system for viewing missile defense testing in Hawaii. The system will utilize natural target emission in the 3 - 5 micron MWIR for imagery, as well as for sensing the phase distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence. Use of the system with the 3.67 meter AEOS telescope will provide near-diffraction-limited performance for imaging at very long range and low elevation angle.

Missile and aircraft field test data acquired with the rapid optical beam steering (ROBS) sensor system

The ROBS instrument has recently acquired unique imagery of a missile intercepting an airborne drone target. We present a summary of that mission. We also present imagery of three airborne targets collected while the ROBS instrument simultaneously tracked all three aircraft. The recent test data highlights the capability of the ROBS instrument for autonomous acquisition, tracking, and imaging of multiple targets under field test conditions. We also describe improvements to the optical system currently underway.

Rapid optical beam-steering sensor suite for tactical weapon tracking applications

The Rapid Optical Beam Steering (ROBS) sensor suite is being developed under the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) to permit precision tracking of long-range missile interceptor events. The sensor suite consists of a very wide field-of-view (FOV) MWIR staring array (28 degrees) for target detection, a narrower FOV (3.5 mrad) MWIR array for acquisition, tracking, and scene viewing, as well as a CO2 laser radar for range and Doppler tracking. The sensor suite is mounted on a ROBS telescope that has high angular agility. Without the highly agile ROBS telescope, the use of IR sensors such as laser radar and staring arrays in smart munitions testing has been considered impractical. Unfortunately, the alternative, which is using highly sophisticated range radar, has not been very successful due to the large resolution cells caused by its long wavelength. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential performance of the very high resolutions (in angle, range, and Doppler) ROBS sensor suite to satisfy the difficult tracking requirements associated with smart munitions testing.

Portable rapid optical-beam-steering ladar system

The properties of a pseudodeep hologram are studied. This new term refers here to an inclined thin hologram on which a one-dimensional line object is recorded by a sagittal system of beams. In this case the reconstructed image is read out only within the line corresponding to the object. It is shown that, similar to deep 3-D hologram, the pseudodeep hologram has high angular and spectral selectivity. A simple graphic method for the construction of the images restored by the pseudodeep hologram is presented. A reference-free hologram has been recorded with the help of such a system. When reading out such a hologram for a part of the object recorded on it, the associative image of the object as a whole was reconstructed. The possibilities of using the pseudodeep hologram was performing different operations are considered, including heteroassociative readout of information by the keys associated with it, recognition of pages of information by the keys associated with it, recognition of pages of information when illuminating the hologram by the objective wave, and multiple recording of information in the same region of the photographic material. In conclusion, the associative memory scheme in which the information pages are recorded on separate stripes of the pseudodeep hologram with the use of different reference sources as the keys associated with these pages has been considered. The retrieval of the pages is performed by illuminating the entire surface of the hologram with one of the reference sources

High-speed multiple object passive and active electro-optical tracking

This paper reviews work done at Trex Enterprises Corporation over the past 18 years on electro-optic surveillance and tracking systems. The range of objects that can be detected and tracked cover awide range of brightness and velocities, from slower moving mortars to fast moving bullets.

Unmanned aerial vehicle based agile optical beam steering system

This paper addresses the potential augmentation of a quasi-stationary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with a highly agile beam steering optical system. In addition to the primary application of relaying laser power from a ground station to low earth orbit satellites, applications include (1) precision tracking and ranging at distances of a few hundred kilometers, (2) covert communications to distances of 80 km utilizing only a modulable corner cube at the receiving end and (3) pollution detection and control and (4) continuous meteorological analysis of high altitude wind, CO2 content, liquid water content, ice particle effective radius, effective drop size, optical depth and density, turbulence structure and emissivity profile.