Lecture 11

Antenna Temperature,
Noise Temperature
• Every object with a physical temperature above absolute zero (0 K = −273 C) radiates energy.
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• The amount of energy radiated is usually represented by an equivalent temperature TB, better
known as brightness temperature, and it is defined as

• Since the values of emissivity are 0 ≤ Ԑ ≤ 1, the maximum value the brightness temperature can
achieve is equal to the molecular temperature.
• Usually the emissivity is a function of the frequency of operation, polarization of the emitted
energy, and molecular structure of the object.
• Some of the better natural emitters of energy at microwave frequencies are
• (a) the ground with equivalent temperature of about 300 K and
• (b) the sky with equivalent temperature of about 5 K when looking toward zenith and about
100 –150 K toward the horizon.
• The brightness temperature emitted by the different sources is intercepted by antennas, and it
appears at their terminals as an antenna temperature.
• The temperature appearing at the terminals of an antenna is that given by, after it is weighted by
the gain pattern of the antenna.
• In equation form, this can be written as
• Assuming no losses or other contributions between the antenna and the receiver, the noise
power transferred to the receiver is given by
• If the antenna and transmission line are maintained at certain physical temperatures, and the
transmission line between the antenna and receiver is lossy, the antenna temperature TA as seen
by the receiver must be modified to include the other contributions and the line losses.
• If the antenna itself is maintained at a certain physical temperature Tp and a transmission line of
length l, constant physical temperature T throughout its length, and uniform attenuation of α
0

(Np/unit length) is used to connect an antenna to a receiver, as shown in Figure 2.35

• The effective antenna temperature at the receiver terminals is given by
• The antenna noise power must also be modified and written as

• where Ta is the antenna noise temperature at the receiver input terminals.

• If the receiver itself has a certain noise temperature Tr (due to thermal noise in the
receiver components), the system noise power at the receiver terminals is given
by