SAVINI1	A Thermal Interferometer concept
Type	Experimental/modelling
#students	1
Orientation	Why is the scientific problem of interest at all? . Earth Observing  (EO) with commercial thermal infrared cameras has  been suggested providing low spatial resolution to monitor average ocean and ground temperatures to complement thermal emission models. The typical size of commercial optics (the largest type) mounted on such cameras is in the range  of  a  few  cm  (<10).  This  allows  a  typical  ground  resolution  of  a  few  hundred  meters.
How	How is the research going to shed light on the given problem?. Implementation of a Double Fourier Modulation technique on a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, with a baseline range of 20-60cm, would increase ground resolution to a few tens of meters (the size of small buildings or ships).
What	What is the specific thing that the student will do, and how does it fit inside the overall project? This project will entail the assembly and test of a two-telescope laboratory test-bed to prove that thermal interferometry can be achieved with careful attention to metrology and optical design.
Special Knowlegde	This project requires substantial lab work, very good knowledge of optics. Computing skills are not required but will likely improve the outcome of the project.
Supervisor	Dr Giorgio Savini gs@star.ucl.ac.uk