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Infrared imaging bolometers

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Observing Photons in Space

Part of the book series: ISSI Scientific Report Series ((ISSI,volume 9))

Abstract

Infrared imaging bolometers have found great utility in space imaging applications. Bolometers measure incident energy by observing a temperature change caused when a material absorbs photons. Because there is great flexibility in choosing the absorbing material characteristics, bolometers can readily be designed to have narrow or broad-band characteristics over a wide range of wavelengths. Imaging bolometers are simply formed from arrays of individual bolometers in the focal plane of a telescope. Uncooled bolometers with high pixel counts are applied for studying the Sun and planets, while imaging bolometers cooled to very low temperatures but having fewer pixels, have been designed for deep-space imaging applications, typically in the very-long wavelength to sub-millimetre region. Ultra-low temperature imaging bolometers have achieved detectivities better than the best photo-current detectors in the far-infrared region.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA

    Harry A. C. Eaton

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  1. Harry A. C. Eaton
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland

    Martin C. E. Huber , Anuschka Pauluhn  & Alex Zehnder ,  & 

  2. Mullard Space Science Lab, University College London, Dorking, Surrey, UK

    J. Len Culhane

  3. Nightsen, Inc., Tiverton, Rhode Island, USA

    J. Gethyn Timothy

  4. Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany

    Klaus Wilhelm

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Eaton, H.A.C. (2013). Infrared imaging bolometers. In: Huber, M.C.E., Pauluhn, A., Culhane, J.L., Timothy, J.G., Wilhelm, K., Zehnder, A. (eds) Observing Photons in Space. ISSI Scientific Report Series, vol 9. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7804-1_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7804-1_29

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7803-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7804-1

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