Statistical Topics Concerning Radiometer Theory

TL;DR

This paper derives the radiometer equation from fundamental statistical principles, validates it through simulations, and explores the impact of non-stationary noise like 1/f noise on radiometer performance.

Contribution

It provides a derivation of the radiometer equation from first principles and investigates the effects of non-stationary noise on radiometer accuracy.

Findings

Numerical simulations confirm the validity of the radiometer equation.

Non-stationary 1/f noise affects radiometer stability and performance.

Gain fluctuations modeled by 1/f noise impact measurement accuracy.

Abstract

We present a derivation of the radiometer equation based on the original references and fundamental statistical concepts. We then perform numerical simulations of white noise to illustrate the radiometer equation in action. Finally, we generate 1/f and 1/f^2 noise, demonstrate that it is non-stationary, and use it to simulate the effect of gain fluctuations on radiometer performance.