bolometer
Noun
Meaning
An instrument for measuring minute quantities of radiant heat, especially in different parts of the spectrum; -- called also actinic balance, thermic balance.
Source: Webster's dictionarySynonyms
Hypernyms
Related terms
Examples
A bolometer is the instrument used to measure radiant energy over a wide band by absorption and measurement of heating.
Planck employs both HEMT radiometers and bolometer technology and will measure the CMB at a smaller scale than WMAP.
The radiant energy of the incident beam was deduced from its heating effect upon a small blackened silver disk, which was found to be more reliable than the bolometer when it was first used.
For longer wavelength observations or higher sensitivity other detectors may be used, including other narrow gap semiconductor detectors, low temperature bolometer arrays or photon-counting Superconducting Tunnel Junction arrays.