Adaptive Tracking Filter for Maneuvering Targets

A general method of continually restructuring an optimum Bayes-Kalman tracking filter is proposed by conceptualizing a growing tree of filters to maintain optimality on a target exhibiting maneuver variables. This tree concept is then constrained from growth by quantizing the continuously sensed maneuver variables and restricting these to a small value from which an average maneuver is calculated. Kalman filters are calculated and carried in parallel for each quantized variable. This constrained tree of several parallel Kalman filters demands only modest om; puter time, yet provides very good performance. This concept is implemented for a Doppler tracking system and the performance is compared to an extended Kalman filter. Simulation results are presented which show dramatic tracking improvement when using the adaptive tracking filter.     

A Closely Regulated TWT Converter

The design concept for the traveling wave tube amplifier converter for possible use in the Thermoelectric Outer Planet Spacecraft (TOPS) is presented. An unusual combination of semiconductors and magnetics were utilized to achieve very stable voltage regulation on a number of separate outputs to satisfy the requirements of a high-power traveling wave tube (TWT), and at the same time operate at an efficiency of better than 90 percent from a 30-volt source. The circuitry consists of an output filter, an auxiliary Jensen oscillator driving a high-reactance transformer to provide current limiting to the heater, a variable time delay, a main Jensen oscillator driving the power transformer with a maximum step-up ratio of 120 to 1, and series transistorized post regulators to provide precise voltage adjustment and low output impedance. This paper discusses the design of the high-reactance transformer and the high step-up ratio transformer, as well as the high-voltage series regulators that are limited in range and operate at the top of the unregulated output voltage. Test data is presented, and details of current transients caused by charging the filter circuits, input current ripple, and output voltage ripples are considered. The circuit provides better than 0.5 percent regulation against load change, input voltage change, and over-operating temperature range of from -20 to + 80°C, with output ripple voltage of less than 2 volts peak-to-peak on top of the 3600-Vdc output. The measured efficiency was typically 87 percent. and recommendations are included to improve this to in excess of 90 percent.     

Angular Accuracy of a Scanning Radar Employing a Two-Pole Filter

A two-pole filter is proposed as a detector for a scanning radar. The optimum values of the filter coefficients are found and are approximated by a simple expression. The optimum two-pole filter requires a 0.15-dB increase in signal-to-noise ratio in order to provide the same detection capability as the optimum detector, and yields azimuth estimates whose standard deviation are within 15 percent of the Cramér-Rao lower bound. The estimator is simple to implement, avoiding the storage requirements of the moving window detector and the bias complications of the feedback integrator.     

Target Identification by Natural Resonance Estimation

This paper presents a target identification method based on an estimation of the natural frequencies of oscillation in transient radar signatures. The emphasis is placed upon signal modeling and estimation ation strategy rather than relating resonance locations to physical structures. Salient features of this identification method are: 1) target aspect angle is not needed, 2) multiple targets of the same type can be illuminated simultaneously, and 3) bandpass interrogation ion pulses can be used. The latter feature is compatible with existing radar facilities. The method is applied to some simulated transfer functions, and factors affecting estimate accuracy are discussed.     

‘Good’ events selection efficiency of the scintillation time-of-flight system of the Gamma-1 telescope in the 30–300 MeV energy range

The scintillation time-of-flight triggering system of the Gamma-1 gamma-ray telescope provides for both the time-of-flight discrimination and the pulse height discrimination of the secondary particles. The paper gives some experimental results for energy dependence of the instrument efficiency in 30–300 MeV energy range for different trigger logics.     

An exact expression for resolution cell area in special case ofbistatic radar systems

An exact expression for the bistatic resolution-cell area (A _B) is developed for the special case in which either the transmit or receive antenna has a broad azimuth beamwidth or is omnidirectional. Quantitative examples are presented to illustrate the variation of A_B with location. A comparison is made with the performance of a commonly used approximation formula     

X-ray emission from Be star/X-ray binaries

Observations of X-ray emission from Be star/X-ray binaries are reviewed. Some optical characteristics of these binaries are also presented. Theoretical aspects pertaining to the X-ray emissions are given.     

Modeling of dynamic evolution of coronal loops

Parameters of expanding magnetic loops and arches and of mass flows generated by them in the corona have been computed in a 1D two-fluid approximation. Two possible trigger mechanisms of the coronal transients have been considered: (i) sudden increase of the background magnetic field strength, and (ii) heating and compression plasma inside these magnetic structures. We discuss the formation of shock waves and their dependence on dynamics and geometry of the magnetic structures.