A Wollaston prism interferometer used as a reference beam interferometer
Abstract
A compact new kind of reference beam interferometer, which can produce large fields of view at low cost, has been developed. The instrument is an outgrowth of a Wollaston prism interferometer and is characterized by a prism having a relatively high divergence angle. In particular, the divergence angle is such that the ratio between the distance of the conjugate rays which interfere and the diameter of the collimated beam is about 0.5. By putting the test section on one side of the collimated beam it is possible to have interference between the rays passing through it and the undisturbed rays passing through the other side. The design concepts and some interferograms relative to the onset of a thermal plume due to a line heat source are presented and discussed.
- Publication:
-
Flow Visualization IV
- Pub Date:
- 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987flvi.proc..105C
- Keywords:
-
- Flow Measurement;
- Interferometers;
- Light Beams;
- Prisms;
- Systems Engineering;
- Compressible Flow;
- Density Distribution;
- Heat Sources;
- Plumes;
- Instrumentation and Photography