Passive Polarization Optical Imaging Simulation and Detection Distinguishability Analysis of Turning Ship Kelvin Wakes on the Sea Surface

The interaction between a moving ship and seawater generates specific wake patterns on the sea surface. Because these wakes typically have a larger spatial scale than the ship’s hull, they facilitate the remote detection of moving targets. During navigation, ships often turn to avoid obstacles or perform tactical maneuvers. However, the wave structure and polarization characteristics of turning wakes differ from those of straight wakes, and related polarization imaging research remains limited. This paper employs a polarization optical imaging simulation chain that integrates a turning ship Kelvin wake model, a rough sea surface polarization reflection model, and a polarization ray-tracing algorithm to generate physically realistic color polarization images. For quantitative evaluation, a Multi-Scale Laplacian Texture Energy Ratio (MSLTER) metric is introduced to separate and quantify wake textures across different spatial scales, offering higher evaluation accuracy than traditional contrast metrics. Simulation results indicate that both the intensity and polarization components reflect the textural characteristics of the turning wake. Its distinguishability exhibits distinct trends under varying observation azimuths, turning angles, and wind directions. Certain polarization components show greater distinguishability at specific observation angles, while the turning direction and angle also alter wake texture distinguishability, with wind direction exerting a differentiated influence. These trends provide a preliminary reference for selecting observation geometries and polarization components in maritime target detection, as well as for developing maneuvering and evasion strategies.