Photonics Dictionary

The adjacency effect refers to a phenomenon in remote sensing and image analysis where the characteristics of an object or area are influenced by its proximity to other objects or features within the...

The process by which a substance, usually a solid, attracts and retains on its surface the molecules of another substance.

A chemical placed in a solution that will indicate when an excess of a substance or ion has been reached by coloring the precipitate after the chemical itself has been totally adsorbed.

The advanced communication technology satellite (ACTS) was a program developed by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the United States to demonstrate and advance satellite...

A television format with enhanced vertical resolution (400 lines as compared with the standard 330) that, unlike high-definition television, can operate on existing bandwidths and with existing...

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refers to a set of safety features and technologies designed to assist drivers in the driving process and enhance overall vehicle safety. These systems use...

An accelerator at the Argonne National Laboratory, providing powerful x-ray beams for materials research applications.

An aerial reconnaissance system that can transmit, in near real time, image data recorded by IR and visual-spectrum sensors, providing day, night and foul-weather intelligence.

A glow discharge lamp consisting of a cold cathode and a mixture of inert gases. The intensity of illumination varies with the applied signal voltage. This lamp was commonly used as a source of...

Film designed especially for the needs and conditions encountered in aerial photography. It is produced in a variety of widths, lengths and emulsions.

The use of photographs taken from the air to construct graphic maps and charts of ground surfaces.

An optical illusion in which distant objects are lighter in tone and less distinct in outline than those closer to the observer because of the atmospheric diffusion of light.

The application of aerial photographs as a means of measurement in map making and surveying.

Photographing of terrain on the ground and objects in the air by cameras mounted in aircraft; utilized in satellites, multispectral scanning and intricate data handling systems.

The use of optical or electronic recording systems to extract information from the terrain, while aloft, for reconnaissance applications.

The creation of a planned sequence of data input that is obtained while airborne for use in aerial photogrammetry and other types of map making and surveying. The data can be photographic, electronic...

The creation of topographical maps and charts from a stereographic record produced through the overlapping of consecutive aerial photographs by more than 50 percent.

A two-phase system consisting of dispersed liquid or solid particles in a gas; examples include dust, smoke and clouds.

In aerial photography, the geometric method of indicating the three-dimensional location of ground points from a pair of aerial photographs.

Transformation of an image, such as a change in position or scale, that does not alter the linearity of the original image.

An optical system with object and image points at infinity. Literally, "without a focal length."

That image remaining on the detector after the primary stimulus has been removed. In the visual system, the after-image commonly appears as the complementary color of the primary stimulus.

Agri-photonics refers to the application of photonics technologies in agriculture. Photonics involves the generation, manipulation, and detection of light and other forms of radiant energy whose...

An AI system-on-chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that integrates hardware components optimized for performing AI computations efficiently. These components typically include: AI accelerators:...

A visible laser beam generated coaxially with an infrared or other invisible laser beam to aid in its positioning.

An instrument designed to measure angles in azimuth; used in general topographic work and military gunnery.

A support device in which a column or chamber of air permits the free travel of a mobile part. In optical mounting and positioning equipment, air bearings are of two types, linear or rotary,...

A quantitative measure of the amount of radiation given off by an instrument, expressed in roentgens per unit of free air.

A category of systems designed to communicate a photo taken from the air (e.g., aircraft, balloon, satellite) to a ground station. It can be done by direct television transmission of the photo, or by...

Diffuse light emitted by the atmosphere due to the excitation of particles of atmospheric gas. These excited particles release light that is visible from Earth as a faint luminescence in the night...

The equation devised by Sir G.B. Airy for the analysis of light diffraction near a caustic surface: (d2f/dz2) - zf = 0 where z represents the independent variable, and f is the value of the function.

The central peak (including everything interior to the first zero or dark ring) of the focal diffraction pattern of a uniformly irradiated, aberration-free circular optical element or system.

The ratio of radiant energy reflected from a rough surface to that incident on it. Usually, the radiant energy is total solar energy; thus, it is not a spectral quantity.

A host crystal for chromium that emits pulsed or continuous-wave laser light, tunable from about 720 to 790 nm.