METHOD OF DETERMINATION OF EPICENTRAL DISTANCE AND HEIGHT OF A SPHERICAL SOURCE OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION BY MEANS OF SPACE BASE Russian patent published in 2018 - IPC G01S11/00 

FIELD: measuring equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods for determining the coordinates of electromagnetic radiation sources by means of space base by recording and measuring the polarization characteristics of the detected radiation. Method consists in detecting an ultraviolet light scattered by the earth's atmosphere from a spherical source using an optical polarimetric device mounted on a spacecraft (satellite) with a known orbit altitude. Radiation is recorded in at least two optical channels, whose optical axes are oriented at a certain angle with respect to the nadir and which rotate around a common vertical axis. Optical axis of the channels and their common axis of rotation lie in the same plane of reference. In each channel, polarization analyzers are installed in which the axes of the total transmission of the polarized component lie in the same reference plane. When the reference plane is rotated, the amplitude of the signal is measured from the polarized component of the detected radiation and the position of the plane is fixed, at which the signal in both channels of this pair is zero. With further rotation, the angle of rotation of the reference plane relative to the fixed position is measured, in which one of the channels of the given pair becomes the maximum signal. At this point, measure the polarization azimuth in the opposite channel. From the measured angles, the source's epicentral distance and its height are determined using the established relationships.

EFFECT: increasing the accuracy of locating a spherical ultraviolet radiation source in the absence of line of sight.

1 cl, 1 dwg