Modeling imager deterministic and statistical modulation transfer functions.

A unified two-step approach for evaluation of deterministic and statistical modulation transfer functions (MTF's) is applied to a time-delay-and-integration charge-coupled imager. The deterministic MTF's include the well-known spatial and temporal aperture MTF's, as well as the charge-coupled imager interpixel and intrapixel synchronism MTF's, which are derived here. These latter MTF's originate from nonsynchronous motion (velocity mismatch) between the image on the focal plane and the charge packets. The statistical evaluation results in phase and jitter MTF's.