How to Measure Solar Absorptance: Tools, Techniques, and Applications
February 13, 2025
Learn how solar absorptance is measured, the instrumentation used, best practices, and applications.
Archive for the ‘SOC-100’ Category
A New AI-Powered Method for Designing Infrared Metasurfaces
December 14, 2024
Metasurfaces are a revolutionary development in the world of optics. These are extremely sophisticated, customizable surfaces that have been tailored to reflect, absorb, or transmit light based on the designer’s needs. The complex structures on the material’s surface are of a sub-wavelength scale compared to the wavelength of interest. These structures act as “mini transmitters […]
Optical Measurement of Z93 Thermal Coating on the International Space Station
September 23, 2020
Space-based construction materials must meet a range of requirements: mechanical robustness, lightweight characteristics, and tolerance to heat. There are three optical requirements for heat management to protect sensitive instrumentation and personnel: high solar reflectance, high thermal emissivity, and a sufficiently diffuse surface. These properties ensure that the spacecraft will remain cool, and the thermal control […]
Measurement and analysis of optical surface properties for input to ShipIR
April 22, 2009
The application of advanced low observable treatments to ground vehicles has led to a requirement for a better understanding of effects of light scattering from surfaces. Measurements of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) fully describe the angular scattering properties of materials, and these may be used in signature simulations to quantitatively characterize the optical […]
Extended performance infrared directional reflectometer for the measurement of total, diffuse and specular reflectance
October 7, 1994
This paper presents a description of a fully automated, computer-controlled Hemispherical Directional Reflectometer (HDR). It fills the need in many fields of research and development for a device with HDR measurement capabilities which is state-of-the-art in wavelength coverage to 25.0 μm and higher, angular polarization resolved coverage 20 to 80 degrees, partition of reflected radiation […]