Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2011

Publication Title

Optics Express

Department

Chemistry

Abstract

An analytical expression for the variance of the radiance measured by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) emission spectrometers exists only in the limit of low noise. Outside this limit, the variance needs to be calculated numerically. In addition, a criterion for low noise is needed to identify properly calibrated radiances and optimize the instrument bandwidth. In this work, the variance and the magnitude of a noise-dependent spectral bias are calculated as a function of the system responsivity (r) and the noise level in its estimate (sigma(r)). The criterion sigma(r)/r < 0.3, applied to downwelling and upwelling FTIR emission spectra, shows that the instrument bandwidth is specified properly for one instrument but needs to be restricted for another.

Volume

19

Issue

6

pp.

5451-5463

ISSN

1094-4087

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