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

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.