A Blackbody Design for SI-Traceable Radiometry for Earth Observation

Abstract

Abstract Spaceborne measurements pinned to international standards are needed to monitor the earth’s climate, quantify human influence thereon, and test forecasts of future climate change. The International System of Units (SI, from the French for Système International d’Unités) provides ideal measurement standards for radiometry as they can be realized anywhere, at any time in the future. The challenge is to credibly prove on-orbit accuracy at a claimed level against these international standards. The most accurate measurements of thermal infrared spectra are achieved with blackbody-based calibration. Thus, SI-traceability is obtained through the kelvin scale, making thermometry the foundation for on-orbit SI-traceable spectral infrared measurements. Thermodynamic phase transitions are well established as reproducible temperature standards and form the basis of the international practical temperature scale (International Temperature Scale of 1990, ITS-90). Appropriate phase transitions are known in the temperature range relevant to thermal infrared earth observation (190–330 K) that can be packaged such that they are chemically stable over the lifetime of a space mission, providing robust and traceable temperature calibrations. A prototype blackbody is presented that is compact, highly emissive, thermally stable and homogeneous, and incorporates a small gallium melting point cell. Precision thermal control of the blackbody allows the phase transition to be identified to within 5 mK. Based on these results, the viability of end-to-end thermometric calibration of both single-temperature and variable-temperature blackbodies on orbit by employing multiple-phase-change cells was demonstrated.