Thermal Imaging Assessment
Abstract
This report investigates the feasibility of using advanced focal plane arrays coupled with telescopes as thermal imaging systems for orbiting targets. The infrared signature of a target will depend on a host of intercoupled factors including (1) surface properties (temperature, emissivity, reflectivity), (2) illumination conditions (solar position, earth background temperature), (3) target orientation, location, and dynamics with respect to the observer, and (4) atmospheric conditions along the illumination and target- observer paths. The determination of absolute surface temperatures of an unknown target is certainly a difficult if not infeasible problem without detailed knowledge of all of these factors. Here, we address the somewhat simpler problem of calculating the change in detected signal observed as a function of relative surface temperature differences, or conversely, given a sensor and its inherent characteristics, we attempt to determine the minimum detectable temperature difference measurable for a target surface of known characteristics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 22, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA224400
Entities
People
- M. E. Gersh
- S. C. Richtsmeier