Correcting luminescent paint measurements for self-illumination

One of the potential problems in pressure-sensitive or other luminescent paint measurements is self-illumination of the test article. If uncorrected, such self-illumination can lead to measurement errors. Here, a numerical correction procedure is discussed for both diffuse paints and paints with arbitrary reflection characteristics. Pros and cons of the two models are discussed. For the diffuse case, a calibration procedure is described, as well as the implementation of the correction algorithm in the overall data processing software. A numerical case study is presented for a specific example, the Dornier Alpha jet.