Performance of a long-wave infrared hyperspectral imager using a Sagnac interferometer and an uncooled microbolometer array

Field and laboratory measurements using an interferometer spectrometer based on the Sagnac interferometer using a microbolometer array detector are presented. Remotely obtained signatures collected with this instrument and with a cryogenic IR spectrometer are compared and shown to closely correspond. Ground-to-ground and air-to-ground image products are presented that demonstrate the image quality of the sensor. Signal-to-noise measurements are presented and compared with a simple parametric performance model that predicts the sensor performance. The performance model is used to predict the performance of this technology when equipped with cooled detectors.