Meeting Information

May 20, 2008 (Tuesday)

Eigthth 2007-2008 Meeting of the National Capital Section of the Optical Society of America

"Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging"

Tom Ainsworth

NRL

ABSTRACT
Earth observation and environmental remote sensing are rapidly coming to the forefront in the global monitoring of our Earth's changing environment. Radar imaging is one of several techniques successfully employed for global monitoring. Recently the European, the Canadian and the Japanese Space Agency each launched Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems designed for long-term observation of the Earth's environment. This talk will provide an introduction to radar remote sensing and SAR imaging which will lead up to a discussion of two current SAR imaging techniques: polarimetric SAR and SAR interferometry. Imagery from several airborne and space borne SAR imaging radars will serve to illustrate these techniques and their application to Earth observation.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Thomas L. Ainsworth received his A.B. from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He held academic research and teaching positions in physics at SUNY - Stony Brook, Texas A&M Univ., KFA - Julich, Germany, and Univ. of Illinois - Urbana. Since joining the Remote Sensing Division of the Naval Research Laboratory in 1993, his research interests have primarily focused on analysis and novel applications of polarimetric and interferometric SAR imagery with occasional forays into stratospheric ozone measurements and non-linear hyperspectral data analysis.

Lecture and Dinner

Meeting Location:
Goddard Space Flight Center Recreation Center

Restaurant:
Goddard Space Flight Center Recreation Center

Schedule

5:30 PM (& NOT before): The Secured gate to the Recreation Center will Open for students to set up their Science Fair Projects

6:00 PM: Social Hour and viewing of this years winning Optics Projects from the Washington Region Science Fairs

7:00 PM: DINNER Dinner will include appetizers and open bar with beer, wine and soft drinks during the social hour; Choice of (Please specify when making Reservations): Grilled NY strip steak, Grilled marinated chicken breast , or Vegetarian Lasanga, With buffet salad bar, baked potato, roasted vegetables, dessert and coffee

8:00 PM: LECTURE


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If you are attending the dinner, ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR DINNER Please make your reservation by 4:00 PM, Friday 16 May 2008.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR DINNER with your dinner selection
[Steak, Chicken or Vegetarian Lasagna] (by 4:00 PM, Friday 16 May 2008)

To make reservations or for more information, please contact:

John Burris : John.F.Burris@nasa.gov

(301)614-6031

Eric Shettle: shettle@nrl.navy.mil
(202) 404-8152 (W) or (301) 657-2825 (H)

September Meeting

Our following meeting is tentatively scheduled for: September 16th, 2008

TBA

Please save the date. Please share this announcement with your colleagues

Special Announcements

MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2007-2008 Dues are now being accepted! Pay early and avoid the rush!!!. If you have any questions, please contact the NCS/OSA Treasurer, Jim Heaney, (301) 902-4531. Please encourage your colleagues to join NCS/OSA.