Surface mine signature modeling for passive polarimetric IR sensors

F Cremer, W de Jong, K Schutte, JT Johnson, BA Baertlein

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

    13 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A specular model has been used to predict the passive polarimetric infrared (IR) signature of surface-laid landmines. The signature depends on the temperature of the landmine and the sky radiance. The temperature of the landmine is measured using a thermocouple. The signature itself is measured using a polarimetric IR camera setup. The predictions are fit to the measurements using the refractive index as an optimization parameter. The obtained refractive indices of each landmine type are consistent, but for the PMN landmine much lower than determined in a previous indoor experiment. Throughout the measurement day, the average landmine polarimetric signature was higher than the average background signature. Moreover the polarimetric signature appears to be a more robust indicator of the shape of the landmine's top surface than the normal IR signature. A simulator of passive polarimetric imagery is also being developed. That work is based on a physical model for both the thermal and radiometric processes, and it includes a finite-element solution for the heat transfer problem, ray tracing to describe the incident sunlight and the effects of shadowing, and analytical models for the Mueller matrices of rough dielectric surfaces. Preliminary results from that model show substantial qualitative agreement with measured images. A specular model has been used to predict the passive polarimetric infrared (IR) signature of surface-laid landmines. The signature depends on the temperature of the landmine and the sky radiance. The temperature of the landmine is measured using a thermocouple. The signature itself is measured using a polarimetric IR camera setup. The predictions are fit to the measurements using the refractive index as an optimization parameter. The obtained refractive indices of each landmine type are consistent, but for the PMN landmine much lower than determined in a previous indoor experiment. Throughout the measurement day, the average landmine polarimetric signature was higher than the average background signature. Moreover the polarimetric signature appears to be a more robust indicator of the shape of the landmine's top surface than the normal IR signature. A simulator of passive polarimetric imagery is also being developed. That work is based on a physical model for both the thermal and radiometric processes, and it includes a finite-element solution for the heat transfer problem, ray tracing to describe the incident sunlight and the effects of shadowing, and analytical models for the Mueller matrices of rough dielectric surfaces. Preliminary results from that model show substantial qualitative agreement with measured images.
    Original languageUndefined/Unknown
    Title of host publicationDetection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VII, Proceedings
    EditorsJT Broach, RS Harmon, GJ Dobeck
    Place of PublicationBellingham, WA, USA
    PublisherSPIE
    Pages51-62
    Number of pages12
    ISBN (Print)0-8194-4492-8
    Publication statusPublished - 2002
    EventDetection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VII (Orlando, FL, USA) - Bellingham, WA, USA
    Duration: 1 Apr 20025 Apr 2002

    Publication series

    Name
    PublisherSPIE
    NameProceedings of SPIE- International Society for Optical Engineering
    Volume4742
    ISSN (Print)0277-786X

    Conference

    ConferenceDetection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VII (Orlando, FL, USA)
    Period1/04/025/04/02

    Bibliographical note

    ISSN 0277-786X, phpub 37

    Keywords

    • conference contrib. refereed
    • Conf.proc. > 3 pag

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