Abstract:
A radiometer is provided with optics, a reference black body cavity, a radiation detector located at the apex of the black body cavity, a radiation chopper external to the black body cavity having alternate mirrored and open segments, and conventional electronic processing circuitry for receiving and processing an output signal from the radiation detector. A blackened vane is positioned in close proximity to the chopper for tracking the temperature of the radiation chopper, and extends into the field of view of the radiometer on the occurrence of an open sector of the chopper, with the area of the vane which extends into the field of view of the radiometer being equal to the clear aperture area of the optical means times the emissivity of the radiation chopper, which provides compensation for changes in the radiation chopper temperature.