Experimental and theoretical assessment of mechanical and optical effects in nonuniformly heated IR windows

This article discusses a series of optical techniques for assessing the per formance of heated IR windows. The assessment considers the complete theret o-mechanical behavior as well as the boresight error and image quality of t he sensor that looks through the window. The entire discussion serves as a vehicle for emphasizing the role that fundamental research plays in the eve ryday mission of APL. We demonstrate that research into the fundamental pro perties of matter not only provides insight into the behavior of the materi al, but often leads to the creation of secondary tools or procedures that i n turn can be used to assess system performance.