Characterization of Unresolved Satellite Imagery Using Polarization Data

ORAL

Abstract

Cadets in the Department of Physics at the US Air Force Academy are developing a new optical sensing modality and characterizing the polarization of a 16-inch DFM Engineering telescope and camera system that will allow us to determine the full linear polarization components of a geosynchronous satellite. The use of polarimetry allows us to characterize a satellite from a point source image in order to further inform space situational awareness. To characterize the polarization of the telescope/camera system, a polaroid film is placed on a rotating frame mounted to an Alnitak Flatman light source, and the relative intensities are measured through four polarized filters oriented at different optical angles (0\textdegree , 45\textdegree , 90\textdegree , and 135\textdegree ). For each of the polarized filters, the polaroid film is rotated every 10\textdegree over a range from 0\textdegree to 180\textdegree . Using this data, Malus curves are created, allowing us to construct the Mueller matrix for the optical system. The Mueller matrix will allow us to determine the Stokes vector, which describes the polarized optical signature of a satellite. We will present the results of calibrating the polarization of the telescope/camera system as well as polarization signatures of geosynchronous satellites.

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Authors

  • Lucy Zimmerman

    United States Air Force Academy

  • Michael Korta

    United States Air Force Academy

  • Adrian Scheppe

    United States Air Force Academy

  • Francis Chun

    United States Air Force Academy

  • Cameron Harris

    United States Air Force Academy

  • John Spence

    Brigham Young University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, Department of Scientific Research, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY 10028, Century Darkroom, Toronto, ON M4M 2S1, Canada, Colorado State University, University of Waterloo, Southern Connecticut State University, Clemson University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Bordeaux, BYU REU Program, New Mexico State University, Arizona State University, Biodesign Institute, Center for Applied Structural Discovery, University of Utah, University of Hawaii, Johns Hopkins University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Arizona State University, Utah State University, Department of Physics, United States Air Force Academy, Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force Academy, Lousiana State University, Brigham Young University - Provo, The University of New Mexico, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Brigham Young University, Department of Materials, Devices, and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA, Department of Physics, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003, USA, Center for Memory and Recording research, UCSD, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, University of New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Chicago

  • John Spence

    Brigham Young University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, Department of Scientific Research, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY 10028, Century Darkroom, Toronto, ON M4M 2S1, Canada, Colorado State University, University of Waterloo, Southern Connecticut State University, Clemson University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Bordeaux, BYU REU Program, New Mexico State University, Arizona State University, Biodesign Institute, Center for Applied Structural Discovery, University of Utah, University of Hawaii, Johns Hopkins University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Arizona State University, Utah State University, Department of Physics, United States Air Force Academy, Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force Academy, Lousiana State University, Brigham Young University - Provo, The University of New Mexico, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Brigham Young University, Department of Materials, Devices, and Energy Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA, Department of Physics, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003, USA, Center for Memory and Recording research, UCSD, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, University of New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Chicago

  • Michael Plummer

    United States Air Force Academy

  • Marco Pirozzoli

    United States Air Force Academy