The Infrared and Electro-Optical Systems Handbook is a joint product of the Infrared Information Analysis Center (IRIA) and the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE). Sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), this work is an outgrowth of its predecessor, The Infrared Handbook, published in 1978. The circulation of nearly 20,000 copies is adequate testimony to its wide acceptance in the electro-optics and infrared communities. The Infrared Handbook was itself preceded by The Handbook of Military Infrared Technology. Since its original inception, new topics and technologies have emerged for which little or no reference material exists. This work is intended to update and complement the current Infrared Handbook by revision, addition of new materials, and reformatting to increase its utility. Of necessity, some material from the current book was reproduced as is, having been adjudged as being current and adequate. The 45 chapters represent most subject areas of current activity in the military, aerospace, and civilian communities and contain material that has rarely appeared so extensively in the open literature.
Volume 1, edited by George Zissis of ERIM, treats sources of radiation, including both artificial and natural sources, the latter of which in most military applications is generally regarded as background radiation.