GEOMETRIC AND RADIOMETRIC CALIBRATION AND TEST APPARATUS FOR ELECTRO-OPTICAL THERMAL-IR INSTRUMENTS AND DESIGNED TO SIMULATE DIFFERENT ANGULARLY-EXTENDING THERMAL-IR SOURCES WITH DIFFERENT GEOMETRIES AND WITH THERMAL-IR EMISSIONS CONTAINING DIFFERENT HOT-COLD TRANSITIONS

摘要

A geometric and radiometric calibration and test apparatus (1) for electro-optical thermal-IR (8-12 micron) instruments and designed to simulate angularly-extending thermal-IR sources with different geometries and with thermal-IR emissions containing hot-cold transitions. The apparatus (1) comprises an IR collimator (2) having an optical axis (Z) and a focal plane (F); a thermal-IR source (3) movable relative to the collimator (2) to be controllably arrangeable and displaceable in the focal plane (F) of the collimator (2), and operable to radiate thermal- IR radiations towards the collimator (2); and a kit of masks (4) interchangeably arrangeable in front of the thermal-IR source (3) and having geometric and radiometric properties to cause the thermal-IR radiation reproduced on the electro-optical instrument to be calibrated or tested to contain different hot-cold transitions.