Security studies Social Sciences Coursework Paper Essay

Course work on Energy Interaction
Student’s Name
Institution
Security Studies
Energy Interaction
The earth's surface composes of many elements occupying space and having mass. These elements respond differently to electromagnetic energy. The different kinds of responses, technically termed as energy interaction, are of great significance in distinguishing objects on the earth's surface, land, and sea. The types of responses include reflection, refraction, emission, and absorption. Reflection is a property of light to bounce back or be redirected on reaching a surface. The property is unique for different kinds of surfaces. Remote sensing experts can distinguish different objects by assessing their reflectance characteristics.
Emission and absorption are other important properties of radiant energy that can be of significance in establishing objects of interest by studying the emission and absorption spectrum (Heřman & Zapletal, 2016). Scientists have learned that different materials emit radiant energy of different wavelengths when subjected to specific conditions, and this property can be used to identify objects of interest in an intelligence assignment. Similarly, the absorption spectrum of an object of interest can be established by shining a bright light on it. The energy levels in the emission spectrum help distinguish different objects. The absorption and emission properties are both unique, and one can be used in place of the other to identify objects of interest.
Resolution
Resolution a term used to refer to the ability to distinguish decisively the specifics of a particular image, object, or parts. To help understand the concept of resolution, take, for instance, the image of a moon observed with naked eyes compared to one observed under the telescope. The latter gives finner details of the heavenly body that are not possible to see with naked eyes. In that case, the telescope has a higher resolution compared to one’s naked eyes. The concept is dominant in Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), and remote sensing. With respect to the above disciplines, the four principal measures of resolution are spatial, spectral, temporal, and radiometric.
Spatial resolution is a single-valued measurement that represents the pixels by square area. Depending on the sensor capabilities, spatial resolution can give even finer details of the object being observed (Earth Lab, 2017). The spectral resolution makes use of the wavelength in an electromagnetic spectrum to determine the clarity of the object. A band with a narrower wavelength gives the finest spectral resolution (Earth Lab, 2017). Temporal resolution introduces the time aspect. When objects or images on the same geographical location are focused, the time taken to emit photons significantly varies, playing a vital role in determining the temporal resolution (Chuvieco, 2016). Finally, the radiometric resolution express pixels in terms of bits to get the relevant information required for the desired resolution and the quality of the image.
Satellite Orbits
Satellite assumes different orbits to have varied views on the earth surfaces. Based on altitudes, eccentricity, and inclinations, four distinct satellite orbits can are identifiable: Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) (ESA, n.d.). Geostationary Orbit, as the name suggests, is a satellite orbit in which the satellites bound to it appear to maintain a constant geographical position due to the rotation speed and direction concurrent with that of the earth (Hugentobler & Montenbruck, 2017). GEO is positioned the furthest compared to other satellite orbits, at an altitude of over 35000 km above the earth's surface. The MEO is relatively closer to the earth's surface and assumes a slightly elliptical path. The satellite moves at a higher speed in the end that the orbit is much closer to the earth due to the stronger earth gravitational force. The satellite circles the earth every 24 hours when on the MEO path and does not necessarily maintain constant path and inclination to the earth (ESA, n.d.).
The LEO is the most common satellite orbit for satellites launched by the scientists for different purposes. The satellite in this orbit maintains a slightly circular path and is in sync with the sun. They also sit closer to the earth at an altitude of less than 1000km, while moving at a higher speed, enabling the satellites to circle the earth for approximately 16 times a day. (Hugentobler & Montenbruck, 2017). Highly elliptical orbit (HEO), as the name suggests, follows an elliptical path. Just like the MEO, HEO has two distinct altitudes relative to the earth's surface, with the point in which the satellite is far away from the earth exhibiting low speed as opposed to the time when closer to the earth (Hugentobler & Montenbruck, 2017). LEOs are useful for satellite imaging for maximum resolution while MEOs are commonly used for navigation satellites (ESA, n.d.). HEOs and GEO are useful in communication and weather forecasting because of their geosynchronous characteristic.
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a remote sensing tool that uses the concept of reflection by sending microwave signals to the earth's surface that are then reflected on the radar (Rosen, 2018). The radar, equipped with an antenna, generates and transmits radio waves towards a target. The reflected waves are then received by the antenna and the various properties including wavelength, resolution, distance to the surface, are used in the formation of images. The working of radar is aided by the fact that different objects exhibit varying imaging geometry.
The azimuthal behavior of the SAR antenna eliminates the need for a longer antenna that is common in other remote sensing tools. Consequently, the SAR has higher resolutions compared to traditional radar technologies (Fontanals, 2018). Besides, SAR’s GPS capabilities are sophisticated and are equipped with highly effective image processing algorithms to boost the resolution. Also, SAR is an all-weathered remote sensing tool that is not impaired by adverse weather conditions such as clouds and rainfall. SAR does not rely on the sun as a source of illumination but rather has its source, giving it the capability to work during the day and night.
Branches of ELINT
Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) is a technical term used to describe the signals propagated by sensor technologies necessary to deduce relevant information for their application. The National Security Agency (NSA) describes ELINT as any nonverbal or textual information derived specifically from electronic signal propagation equipment, radar (Christianson, 2019). According to the security agency NSA, the major branches of ELINT include Technical ELINT (TechELINT), Operational ELINT (OpELINT), and Telemetry signal intelligence (TELINT).
TechELINT is a branch responsible for the interception and analysis of signals emanating from signal based tools such as radar to facilitate a preliminary study of how those systems work. With the help of TechELINT, security personnel can learn the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents in advance. OpELINT narrows down...