Alien Vision: Exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum with Imaging Technology

Description

Austin Richards takes readers on a visual tour of the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the range of human sight, using imaging technology as the means to "see" invisible light. Dozens of colorful images and clear, concise descriptions make this an intriguing, accessible technical book. Richards explains the light spectrum, including visible light, and describes the advanced imaging technologies that enable humans to synthesize our own version of "alien" vision at different wavelengths, with applications ranging from fire fighting and law enforcement to botany and medicine.

The second edition expands existing content, explores recent areas of research, and provides new illustrations that demonstrate the variability of vision throughout the spectrum.

Contents

• List of Figures
• Preface
• Introduction

1. Infrared and Ultraviolet: The Edges of the Rainbow
1. Near-Infrared Imaging
1. Night vision and surveillance with near-IR imaging
2. Exploiting the deep penetration of NIR and SWIR light
3. Art conservation
4. Military uses of SWIR imaging
2. Ultraviolet Imaging
1. Animal ultraviolet vision
2. Optical properties of materials in the near-IR and near-UV
3. Atmospheric effects in the IR and UV wavebands
4. Infrared and ultraviolet light sources
3. Infrared Photography and Heat Detection
2. Thermal Imaging: We All Glow in the Dark
1. Reflectivity of materials
2. Midwave and longwave IR imaging systems
3. Surveillance and law enforcement
4. Industrial thermography
5. Imaging invisible gases
6. Test range radiometry
7. High-speed thermography
8. Thermal imaging and biology
9. Thermal imaging in astronomy
3. Microwave and Millimeter-wave Imaging: Piercing the Veil
1. Sub-millimeter-wave imaging: T-rays
2. Millimeter-wave imaging: Seeing through clothing and fog
3. Radio astronomy: The foundations of radio-wave imaging
4. Radar imaging: A microwave searchlight
5. Small-scale imaging radar
4. X Rays and Gamma Rays: Crookes Tubes and Nuclear Light
1. Gamma rays
2. High-energy astronomy
3. Gamma-ray imaging
4. PET scans: Observing living tissue with gamma rays
5. Acoustic Imaging: Seeing with Sound
1. Underwater acoustic imaging
2. Ultrasound medical imaging
3. Acoustic daylight imaging
4. Acoustic imaging of sound sources
6. Sweeping through the Spectrum: Comparative Imagery
1. Milky Way images from radio to gamma ray
2. Milky Way image descriptions

• Epilogue
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index