Aerospace applications of adjoint theory

The adjoint simulation method is an efficient, computerised method for the performance analysis of linear time varying (LTV) systems excited by deterministic and/or stochastic inputs. It is based on the impulse response function (or weighting function) of the so-called adjoint system - an associated linear system derived from the original system by clever utilisation of the mathematical principle of duality. Once the adjoint system is obtained, the solution process using this method is quite straightforward regardless of the nature and number of inputs. In this report, we demonstrate the power of adjoint simulation in the context of guided missile homing loop studies and present a MATLAB tool that can be used for its speedy implementation and execution. The tool is demonstrated by using it to analyse the miss distance performance of a generic guided missile against an evading target.