Large spectral bandwidth, U.V. solar blind detector
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorMyer Geller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An early warning system for detecting the UV from a missile plume has a wide field of view, large spectral bandwidth, solar blind detector. A coated detector passes only a spectral region that embraces UV signals of interest and a wavelength shifter includes a material that shifts the impinging UV energy into a spectrum that embraces the frequencies emitted by fluorescent photons. A photomultiplier tube responsive to the fluorescent emissions provides a responsive read-out indicative of an incoming missile.
Claims5
An apparatus for detecting the UV radiation in missile plume comprising:
- a photomultiplier tube responsive to fluorescent emissions to provide a representative output signal;
- a detector having a first surface covered with a first coating having properties to pass the UV radiation and a second coating disposed adjacent the photomultiplier tube having properties to pass the fluorescent emissions, the passbands of the coatings being separate and distinct one from the other, the detector further having a material therein having the properties for shifting the wavelength of the UV radiation to that of the fluorescent emissions.
A method of detecting the UV missile plume within the solar blind UV spectrum comprising:
- blocking out signals other than a passband including the UV missile plume signals with a first coating;
- shifting the frequency of the plume signals to a fluorescent bandwidth outside of the solar blind UV spectrum;
- blocking out signals other than the fluorescent bandwidth outside of the solar blind UV spectrum with a second coating;
- and
- amplifying the fluorescent bandwidth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.