Airborne Measurements of the Thermal Radiation from the Wake of the USS IREX
Abstract
The airborne equipment developed for measuring the thermal radiation from submarine wakes was designed to be flown at an altitude of 2000 feet at speeds of 30 to 60 knots. Operating with a noise input equivalent to 1.2 x 10(exp -7) watts cm-2 steradian-1, it is capable of measuring easily the difference in radiation between a wake and surrounding water when the temperature difference is only + or - 0.005 deg C. With the equipment installed in the M-2 airship, thermal radiation from submarine. wakes originating at depths down to 150 feet was measured at night at ranges up to 12,000 yards astern. For the first time, optical noise from the surface of the sea was observed with this type of equipment. Miles of sea were found to have optical noise levels equal to or less than that of the equipment, indicating that the signal-to-noise ratio can be increased still further.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 16, 1951
- Accession Number
- AD1214982
Entities
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory