Comparison of microwave black-body target radiometric measurements

Accurate characterization of the brightness temperature (T_B) of black-body targets used for calibrating microwave remote-sensing radiometers includes many inputs: antenna pattern and loss, target temperature, target emissivity, mechanical alignment, and radiometric T_B measurements, all of which must be calibrated against physical standards. Here, we describe measurements made using several black-body targets and two different antennas within the WR-42 (18 to 26.5 GHz) waveguide band. Uncertainty estimates are also shown for the retrieved target T_B measurements.