Computer simulation of absolute and contrast infrared signatures from missile noses

Abstract

A computer simulation was performed to obtain an estimate of the infrared radiant intensity and radiative contrast produced by missile noses. The temperature distribution on the nose was computed by taking into account the effects of aerodynamic and solar heating, sky irradiance, and radiative cooling. The corresponding absolute and contrast signatures were obtained by considering the influence of both atmosphere (self-emission and absorption) and target geometry (distance, aspect, and elevation angles) for six target classes, including cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and air-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles. Both radiant intensity and radiative contrast were computed as a function of missile altitude or missile distance for all targets. A comparison of radiative quantities in the 3- to 5-μm and 8- to 12-μm bands shows that usually the spectral region that gives the strongest signal is not the one that gives the highest contrast.