Spectral and polarimetric remote sensing for CBRNE applications

Abstract

Optical remote sensing has become a valuable tool in many application spaces because it can be unobtrusive, search large areas efficiently, and is increasingly accessible through commercially available products and systems. In the application space of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) sensing, optical remote sensing can be an especially valuable tool because it enables data to be collected from a safe standoff distance. Data products and results from remote sensing collections can be combined with results from other methods to offer an integrated understanding of the nature of activities in an area of interest and may be used to inform in-situ verification techniques. This work will overview several independent research efforts focused on developing and leveraging spectral and polarimetric sensing techniques for CBRNE applications, including system development efforts, field deployment campaigns, and data exploitation and analysis results. While this body of work has primarily focused on the application spaces of chemical and underground nuclear explosion detection and characterization, the developed tools and techniques may have applicability to the broader CBRNE domain.