ACCURACY: A measure of the similarity of an instrument reading to the actual value for that reading. Instrument accuracy is affected by many things - instrument drift, environment, temperature, time, operator expertise, emissivity etc.

ACTINIC: With respect to radiation, the characteristic that indicates capability to produce chemical change, as in the photographic activity of light. Electromagnetic energy that is capable of producing photochemical activity

AGING: Spontaneous change in the physical properties of some metals, which occurs on standing, at atmospheric temperatures after final cold working or after a final heat treatment. Frequently synonymous with the term " Age-Hardening."

AMBIENT TEMPERATURE: This parameter is used to compensate for the radiation reflected in the object and the radiation emitted from the atmosphere between the camera and the object. Sometimes call background temperature. The background temperature creates the radiation level available as reflected energy.

ANNEALING: A heating and cooling operation implying usually a relatively slow cooling. Annealing is a comprehensive term. The process of such a heat treatment may be: to remove stresses; to induce softness; to alter ductility; toughness; electrical magnetic, or other physical properties; to refine the crystalline structure; to remove gases; to produce a definite micro-structure. In annealing, the temperature of the operation and the rate of cooling depend upon the material being heat treated and the purpose of the treatment

AREA COVERAGE RATE: Amount of image area per unit time collected by the system at the given resolution

ASTM: Abbreviation for American Society for Testing Material. An organization for issuing standard specifications on materials, including metals and alloys.

ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE: Is the temperature of the atmosphere between the object and the scanner. Some of the radiation that reaches the scanner emanates from the object and some from atmosphere that it is not perfectly transparent to the infrared radiation and therefore also radiates and absorb.

ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE: Refers to the density fluctuations arising from atmospheric temperature fluctuations. (Not fluid dynamics turbulence)

ATMOSPHERIC WINDOWS: Spectral radiation regions not absorbed by atmospheric gasses. These windows are transparent to radiation at those wavelengths. The most obvious window is the visible light window - If the smog is not too bad we can see through the atmosphere forever.

BINOCULAR: Designating any instrument in which both eyes can be used to view the image to achieve a stereoscopic effect, or merely to facilitate observation. A pair of telescopes with prismatically erected images, mounted side by side with the eyepieces at the interocular distance of the observer.

BLACKBODY: is defined as an object that absorbs all radiation that impinges on it at any wavelength.

BONDERIZING: The coating of steel with a film composed largely of zinc phosphate in order to develop better bonding surface for paint or lacquer.

BORON: (Chemical Symbol B)- Element No. 5 of the periodic system. Atomic weight 10.82. It is gray in color, ignites at about 1112°F. and burns with a brilliant green flame, but its melting point in a non-oxidizing atmosphere is about 4000°F. Boron is used in steel in minute quantities for one purpose only - to increase the hardenability as in case hardening and to increase strength and hardness penetration.

BRIGHTNESS: A term to indicate the relative amount of light intensity available. Brighter is more light, dimmer is less light. In an infrared system, the brightness control may affect actual image intensity or it may change the temperature range displayed. Either effect will change the brightness of a given temperature.

BRITTEL MATERIALS: Materials that experience little, if any, plastic deformation before the onset of fracture

BSI: British Standards Institution-- United Kingdom (London)

CAPSTAN: vertical (could be horizontal) drum, which do, rotated and around which wire is turned .The capstan

CARBON RANGE: In steel specifications, the carbon range is the difference between the minimum and maximum amount of carbon acceptable.

CARBON STEEL: Common or ordinary steel as contrasted with special or alloy steels, which contain other alloying metals in addition to the usual constituents of steel in their common percentages.

CARBON: (Chemical symbol C) - Element No. 6 of the periodic system; atomic weight 12.01; has three allotropic modifications, all non-metallic. Carbon is preset in practically all-ferrous alloys, and has tremendous effect on the properties of the resultant metal. Carbon is also an essential compound of the cemented carbides. Its metallurgical use, in the form of coke, for reduction of oxides, is very extensive

CELCIUS º C (Centigrade): A scale for measuring temperature where absolute cold is -273.2'C, the melting point of water (ice point) is 0 º C, and the boiling point of water is 100° C.

CELL FILL FACTOR: Is the fraction of detector cell area occupied by the zone actively involved in the generation of signal radiance.

CONDUCTION: The transfer of energy through a solid without motion of the conducting solid as a whole. Steady-State conduction calls if the temperature at each point is independent of time. Unsteady or transient conduction situations changes with time (time dependant).

CONVECTION: The transfer of energy through a liquid or gas due to the motion of the medium.

COPANT: Comisión Panamericana de Normas. Pan-American Commission of Technical Standards. Regional Organization integrated by the organisms of normalization of 18 countries of the American continent and to which they stick the national organisms of normalization from Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. Their artificial headquarters are in Buenos Aires.(Argentina)