Radiometry Revealed

Level: Introductory Length: 7 hours Format: Online Intended Audience: Scientists, engineers, technicians, or technical managers who wish to learn more about how to quantify radiant energy in optical systems and measurements. Undergraduate training in engineering or science is assumed. Description: This course explains basic principles and applications of radiometry and photometry. A primary goal of the course is to reveal the logic, systematic order, and methodology behind what sometimes appears to be a confusing branch of optical science and engineering. Examples are taken from the ultraviolet through the long-wave infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Anyone who wants to answer questions such as, "how many watts or photons do I have?" or "how much optical energy or radiation do I need?" will benefit from taking this course. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - apply radiometry to typical applications, such as calibrating an imaging system, determining human-perceived brightness of a display, or calculating electricity produced by a solar cell - be familiar with radiometers and photometers - transfer radiant energy into and throughout optical systems - identify radiometric standards and calibration methods - explain the role of rays, stops, and pupils in defining the field of view and light-gathering capability of an optical system - calculate areas and solid angles to determine the energy, energy density, or brightness in an optical system - describe the fundamental units and quantities used to quantify electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths from the ultraviolet through the visible and infrared - use, understand, and convert between radiometric and photometric quantities - determine the throughput of an optical system and use it in radiometric calculations - quantify the radiant energy in optical images from point and extended sources Instructor(s): Joseph A. Shaw is Director of the Optical Technology Center and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. He previously worked at the NOAA research labs in Boulder, Colorado. He is a widely recognized expert in the development, calibration, and analysis of optical systems used in environmental and military sensing. Recognition for his work in this field includes NOAA research awards, a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and the World Meteorological Organization's Vaisala Prize. He earned a Ph.D. in Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona and is a Fellow of both the OSA and SPIE.