FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A FIELD PORTABLE THERMAL INFRARED SPECTROMETER

THE NASA GEOLOGY PROGRAM HAS BEEN STUDYING THE APPLICATION OF THERMAL INFRARED IMAGING FROM AIRCRAFT AND SPACECRAFT TO SURFACE COMPOSITIONAL MAPPING. IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THESE STUDIES, THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO HAVE A FIELD PORTABLE THERMAL INFRARED SPECTROMETER FOR IN SITU MEASUREMENT OF THE EMISSION SPECTRA OF SURFACE MATERIALS. SUCH AN INSTRUMENT MUST HAVE GOOD PERFORMANCE IN THE 5-14 MICROMETERWAVELENGTH RANGE AND BE EASY TO MAINTAIN, CARRY, AND OPERATEIN THE FIELD. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DESIGNING AND BUILDING AN INNOVATIVE PORTABLE THERMAL INFRARED SPECTROMETER THAT IS ONE PERSON PORTABLE, RUGGED AND RELIABLE, AND MEETS THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. THIS WILL REQUIRE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO SPECTRAL DISPERSION AND DETECTION, POWER CONSUMPTION, AND ESPECIALLY PACKAGING. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL INVESTIGATE A VARIETY OF DESIGN APPROACHES TO EACH SUBSYSTEM, EVALUATE EACH WITH RESPECT TO PERFORMANCE AND PACKAGING CONSTRAINTS, AND RECOMMEND AN OPTIMUM DESIGN. THE FINAL REPORT WILL INCLUDE THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN WITH COMPONENTS SPECIFIED AND CONFIGURATION IDENTIFIED FOR PHASE II IMPLEMENTATION. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL RESULT IN THE DESIGN OF AN INSTRUMENT THAT WOULD PRODUCE DATA TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF THE THERMAL INFRARED EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF SURFACE MATERIALS.