Optical analysis of the ERBE scanning thermistor bolometer radiometer using the Monte Carlo method

dc.contributor.authorMeekins, Jeffrey L.en
dc.contributor.departmentMechanical Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:33:02Zen
dc.date.adate2009-04-07en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:33:02Zen
dc.date.issued1990en
dc.date.rdate2009-04-07en
dc.date.sdate2009-04-07en
dc.description.abstractIn 1984, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) was started by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide data to the meteorological community to predict long-term weather and climate trends. Three satellites employing nonscanning active cavity and scanning thermistor bolometer radiometers are orbiting the Earth to monitor its radiative emission. A numerical model has been formulated to better understand the performance of the ERBE scanning radiometer and to aid future radiometric design and calibration procedures. The Monte Carlo method is applied to the ERBE scanning radiometer to spectrally characterize its optical and radiative performance. The optical analysis reveals that the ERBE scanning radiometer design successfully limits the amount of energy that reaches the active sensor to the designated instrument field of view. Distribution factors between the diffuse-specular surfaces of the scanning radiometer are calculated using the Monte Carlo method and are then used to perform the radiative analysis. This analysis shows that less than three percent of the radiation emitted from the passive surfaces of the radiometer reaches the active sensor, an acceptable level for radiometric instrumentation used in space.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentxiii, 193 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-04072009-040939en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04072009-040939/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/41949en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1990.M437.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 22674937en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1990.M437en
dc.subject.lcshRadiometers -- Evaluationen
dc.subject.lcshTerrestrial radiation -- Measurementen
dc.titleOptical analysis of the ERBE scanning thermistor bolometer radiometer using the Monte Carlo methoden
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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