Optimum line and crossed arrays for the detection of a signal on a noise background

The paper relates to the design of hydrophone or antena arrays together with the associated signal processing networks. For the detection of weak signals in a noise background the outputs from the individual receivers may be combined by means of linear amplifiers and time delays. For a signal of known time dependence and spatial form there is an optimum set of processing networks which maximizes the signal/noise ratio at the output. A general theory, developed in a previous paper, is applied to consideration of line and crossed arrays. Several types of noise are considered. The analysis is also extended to treat multiplicative arrays. Application of the theory is to consideration of a crossed array in which some of the outputs are combined linearly and then multiplied at the output stage.