Patent ID: 7460063

Claim:
An interferometric radiometer for imaging a target scene (ED), comprising: a plurality of receiving elements ( 201 , 202 ) for receiving said radiation, said receiving elements ( 201 , 202 ) being arranged in a two- or three-dimensional array (REA); first signal processing means (SP 1 ) for computing a two-dimensional set of samples of a visibility function (V) of said radiation emission by pair-wise cross-correlating signals received by said receiving elements ( 201 , 202 ); and second signal processing means (SP 2 ) for reconstructing an intensity image (MI) of said radiation emission from said samples of said visibility function (V); characterized in that it further comprises means (ROT) for rotating said two- or three-dimensional array of receiving elements (REA) about a rotation axis (z) which is substantially directed toward said target scene (ED); and in that said second signal processing means (SP 2 ) are adapted for reconstructing said intensity image (MI) from a plurality of two-dimensional sets of samples of said visibility function (V), each of said set of samples corresponding to a different rotational position of said rotating two- or three-dimensional array (REA) of receiving elements.