Characterization and optimization of infrared-imager detector response for long-path research

Frank T. Kantrowitz; Wendell R. Watkins; Daniel R. Billingsley; Fernando R. Palacios

doi:10.1117/12.21860

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1 September 1990 Characterization and optimization of infrared-imager detector response for long-path research

Frank T. Kantrowitz, Wendell R. Watkins, Daniel R. Billingsley, Fernando R. Palacios

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Proceedings Volume 1311, Characterization, Propagation, and Simulation of Infrared Scenes; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.21860
Event: 1990 Technical Symposium on Optics, Electro-Optics, and Sensors, 1990, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Many commercially available infrared imagers utilizing mercury-cadmium-telluride scanning detectors are not optimized for long pathlength atmospheric research. At imaging ranges of 1 or more kilometers, path radiance due to emissions from atmospheric constituents such as H₂0 and CO₂ can be a significant contributor to a poor signal to noise ratio. Through proper doping of the detector and cold finger filtering, there is an increase in the magnitude of the propagated, system weighted target radiance and a much more favorable ratio of propagated target to path radiance which directly affects the image quality. Thus, it is necessary when optimizing an imaging system to consider both atmospheric path radiance and detector response. This paper presents a methodology which has resulted in a computer program which provides such optimizations. A first generation modification has been developed at the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory and preliminary results show an enhancement of target to background apparent temperature or delta T in the 8 to 12 micron region. In the 3 to 5 micron region, it was readily apparent that the modification did not achieve the desired results (especially during winter weather conditions). In order to provide a solution to this problem, a technique was developed to characterize the detector response without the necessity of its removal from the system.

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Frank T. Kantrowitz, Wendell R. Watkins, Daniel R. Billingsley, and Fernando R. Palacios "Characterization and optimization of infrared-imager detector response for long-path research", Proc. SPIE 1311, Characterization, Propagation, and Simulation of Infrared Scenes, (1 September 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.21860

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