Transient event characterization

Emerging technologies enable the acquisition of high rate temporal data over wide areas with moderate spatial resolution from remote sensors, either ground, air or space borne. These technologies are appropriate for collecting data on a wide range of brief events, including high explosive detonations, short burn rocket motors, and muzzle flashes. The limiting factor in the interpretation of data acquired from such a system deployed to monitor battlefield activity is that the system may become overburdened by the number of-events occurring in a rather short time period. Techniques to rapidly detect, identify and characterize these events are required prior to contemplation of such system deployments. An algorithm developed for performing Transient Event Characterization (TEC) from a passive remote sensor is presented. Data have been collected on several TEC targets from numerous programs over many years. In addition, signature prediction models are available for extrapolating data to conditions and in wavelength regions for which data are unavailable. These models have been used to develop an algorithm that could be employed by a state of the art remote sensing system. Sample results of the TEC algorithm applied to several types of targets are presented