U.S. patent number 3,580,679 [Application Number 04/761,988] was granted by the patent office on 1971-05-25 for solar spectrographs.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Perkin-Elmer Corporation. Invention is credited to Richard S. Perkin.
United States Patent |
3,580,679 |
Perkin |
May 25, 1971 |
SOLAR SPECTROGRAPHS
Abstract
In certain astronomical applications, it is desirable to
photograph (or otherwise observe) a celestial body (e.g.,
spectroheliograms of the sun) at a very narrow spectral bandwidth
(i.e., substantially monochromatically). It is proposed to modify
an otherwise conventional astronomical telescope so as to allow the
simultaneous photographing (or other recording) of, for example,
the sun at a plurality of different extremely very narrow wave
bands (i.e., discrete, substantially monochromatic
spectroheliograms). This may be accomplished by providing a series
(say, four) of discrete apertures at the entrance end of an
otherwise conventional telescope; and means at the image or exit
end of the telescope for separately forming an image from each of
the four separate entrance beams. By providing different narrow
band-pass filters (or other means for rendering each of the beams
monochromatic at a different wavelength), a simultaneous photograph
(or other measurement) of the sun at different spectral lines may
be made. Comparison of such simultaneous photographs can yield
information concerning relative intensity of spectral lines from
any part of the sun, free from uncertainty due to, for example, the
fluctuating intensity with time of the source (e.g., the sun)
itself. Preferably the entrance apertures are provided with
moderately broad-pass reflecting filters for rejecting (i.e.,
reflecting away) most of the radiant energy outside of the vicinity
at which each of the separate spectral measurements are being
made.
Inventors: |
Perkin; Richard S. (New Canaan,
CT) |
Assignee: |
The Perkin-Elmer Corporation
(Norwalk, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
25063814 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/761,988 |
Filed: |
September 24, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
356/407; 359/727;
396/308; 359/723; 396/327 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01J
3/36 (20130101); G01J 3/0208 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01J
3/00 (20060101); G01J 3/30 (20060101); G01J
3/36 (20060101); G01j 003/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;350/169,170,199
;356/76--79,51 ;95/12.2,18 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
fredga: Rocket Spectroheliograph For The Mg. II Line At 2802.7A,
Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, May 1966 pages
1--14.
|
Primary Examiner: Wibert; Ronald L.
Assistant Examiner: Evans; F. L.
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for recording a plurality of simultaneous solar
spectrograms, each at its own extremely narrow spectral interval,
comprising:
a conventional telescopic optical system for gathering incoming
solar radiation and for forming a solar image;
a plurality of first filter means positioned in front of said
telescopic optical system for effectively dividing said solar
radiation into a plurality of substantially separate beams passing
through said telescopic optical system;
means for rendering each of said separate beams substantially
monochromatic at its own different desired extremely narrow
spectral interval;
reimaging means for forming a separate final substantially
monochromatic image from each of said separate monochromatic
beams;
and means for recording each of said separate substantially
monochromatic solar images;
each of said first filter means being of such construction as to
pass only a moderately narrow spectral band generally surrounding
the extremely narrow spectral interval of the final solar image
formed from its respective separate beam;
whereby each of said separate beams from said first filter means
comprises radiation only in the spectral vicinity of the extremely
narrow spectral interval of its respective final solar image,
thereby greatly reducing the total intensity of the radiation in
each separate beam without substantial loss of radiation within
each respective extremely narrow spectral interval;
whereby a plurality of spectroheliograms at different extremely
narrow spectral intervals are obtained simultaneously.
2. A spectrographic apparatus according to claim 1, in which:
each said first filter means is of such construction as to reflect
substantially all of the undesired radiation outside of its
respective moderately narrow spectral band-pass;
whereby said first filter means reject all such undesired outside
radiation without substantial absorption and the attendant heating
problems.
3. A spectrographic apparatus according to claim 2, in which:
each said first filter means is of the induced transmission type
having at least one very thin metallic layer.
4. A spectrographic apparatus according to claim 1, in which:
said means for rendering each of said separate beams substantially
monochromatic comprises a plurality of second filter means;
each said second filter means being of such construction as to pass
only an extremely narrow spectral interval within the moderately
narrow spectral band of the first filter means optically associated
therewith.
5. A spectrographic apparatus according to claim 4, in which:
each said second filter means comprises an interference filter of
the type comprising a plurality of extremely thin alternate layers
of two different dielectric materials.
6. A spectrographic apparatus according to claim 1, in which:
a field lens means is positioned at least in the vicinity of the
original solar image formed by said telescopic optical system;
said field lens means being of such dioptric power and such
relative position as to form a conjugate image of said first filter
means substantially onto the entrance pupil of said reimaging
means;
whereby separation of each of said separate substantially
monochromatic beams is more completely obtained, and the field
angle requirements of said reimaging system substantially
reduced.
7. A spectrographic apparatus according to claim 1, in which:
said recording means comprises at least separate portions of at
least one photographic material;
whereby a permanent record is obtained of the manner in which the
various parts of the sun, corresponding to the parts of the solar
image formed, emit radiation in each of the extremely narrow
spectral intervals photographed.
Description
DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to apparatus, which may be used in
conjunction with a conventional astronomical telescope, to form
simultaneous photographs (or other measurements) of a celestial
body (e.g., the sun) at different very narrow spectral bands or
lines. More particularly, the invention may be considered a
simultaneous, multiple-image spectroheliograph.
The invention provides means, including a multiple-apertured
diaphragm, in front of an otherwise conventional astronomical
telescope, so as to cause different distinct beams to transverse
the optics of the telescope. At the exit or image side of the
telescope, means are provided for forming a separate distinct image
from each of these beams. In each of these separate image beams a
different monochromator (which may be an extremely narrow-pass
filter) may be positioned so as to cause the radiation forming the
different images to be of a different narrow spectral band or line.
In this manner, multiple simultaneous photographs at different very
narrow spectral bands may be simultaneously made, so that they are
free of any relative variation with time and intensity of the
source (e.g., the sun).
Such an apparatus is particularly useful for photographing or
otherwise measuring the relative intensity of certain solar
emission lines. For example, an instrument according to the
invention is especially useful for determining the relative
intensity of the hydrogen alpha line (that is, the first line of
the Balmer series for hydrogen at approximately 6563 A).
Preferably, a moderately broad-pass reflecting filter is positioned
in front of each of the entrance apertures so as to reflect away
most of the solar radiation, allowing only the radiation in the
general vicinity of the particular spectral line to be measured to
enter each "channel" of the telescope; this greatly reduces the
problems which would otherwise be caused by the intense radiation,
especially at those positions where such radiation is subsequently
focused. The original entrance apertures are preferably imaged onto
the individual monochromatic optical systems, as by means of a
field lens, which field lens may be positioned at or near the
principal image plane of the telescope.
An object of the invention is a provision of a system for
photographing or otherwise measuring simultaneously a plurality of
very narrow spectral bands (e.g., spectral lines) from a celestial
body, such as the sun.
A related object is a provision of such an apparatus which may be
readily combined with existing conventional astronomical
telescopes.
A further related object of the invention is the provision of means
for adapting an otherwise conventional astronomical telescope to
forming simultaneously a plurality of spectroheliograms at
different very narrow wavelength bands in a relatively economical
manner.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become
obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the following
detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention,
in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical section through an exemplary conventional
astronomical telescope, which has been modified by the invention so
as to allow the simultaneous "taking" of four photographs of, say,
the sun at four different very narrow spectral bandwidths;
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the same apparatus as in FIG.
1, as seen from the left thereof; and
FIG. 3 is a vertical section, taken along the line 3-3 in FIG.
1.
In FIG. 1, a conventional astronomical telescope, which has been
modified in accordance with the invention, is generally shown at
10. For exemplary purposes, the telescope is assumed to be of a
Cassegrain type; however, the invention may be utilized in
conjunction with any astronomical telescope, and is particularly
adapted for use with any catoptric astronomical telescopes. The
conventional structure of such a telescope may include a main
tubular housing 12 which supports near one end (the right in FIG.
1) the primary mirror 14, having at 16 a polished and mirrored
concave surface. In telescopes of the type shown, this primary
mirror will be apertured (or at least wholly transparent) at its
center, as indicated at 18 so as to allow rays to pass
therethrough. The secondary mirror 20 of the exemplary telescope
will have a mirrored convex surface at 22 positioned in the path of
the rays converged by the primary mirror 14. The exact position,
curvature and form of convex surface 22 will depend, in well-known
ways, on the optical design of the telescope. In any event, the
diverging power of the secondary convex mirror 22 will be less than
the converging power of the primary concave surface 16 so that the
rays after encountering both surfaces in turn will still converge
to an image plane at the principal focal point 24 of the entire
telescope. The primary mirror 14 may be supported in tube 12 by any
convenient means, such as a mounting or retaining ring 26. The
secondary mirror 20 may be supported by a spider 28 (compare FIG.
2), which may include an outer peripheral flange 30 attached to the
interior of tube 12, a generally ring-shaped holding member 32
adjacent secondary mirror 20 and a series (shown as four) spokelike
connecting arms at 34.
The structure so far described (i.e., elements 10--34) are merely
the constituent parts of an exemplary conventional astronomical
telescope, and as such form no part of the invention. In such a
conventional telescope, the incoming radiation, exemplified by rays
36 will strike and be converged by the concave surface 16 of the
primary mirror 14 so as to be directed to the convex surface 22 of
the secondary mirror 20. After reflection from this surface, the
rays will continue to converge to form an image of the original
object in the vicinity of the principal focal point 24. As
previously noted the exact form, amount of curvature, and spacing
of the two mirrors (14,22) will in a given astronomical telescope
be of such value as to at least partially correct or compensate the
various aberrations which would otherwise be contributed by the
individual mirrors, as well as to decrease the overall length of
the telescope. Examples of such arrangement include the Cassegrain
and the Gregorian telescope systems.
In order to adapt such an astronomical telescope to making (single)
spectroheliograms, it has already been proposed to position a
spectrograph behind (i.e., to the right in FIG. 1) such an
astronomical telescope so as to receive radiation from the primary
image (i.e., the entrance slit of the spectrograph would be
positioned at point 24). Such a spectroheliograph combination would
also typically include some means for attenuating the total amount
of solar radiation entering the telescope (e.g., an apertured
diaphragm near the entrance end 38 of the telescope). In a
telescope of the type shown in FIG. 1, in which the central zone is
subject to obscuration, such a limiting aperture would necessarily
be positioned off center. Based on the principles of such a
spectroheliograph, the present invention adapts a conventional
astronomical telescope (elements 10--38) to record simultaneously a
plurality of (hereinafter assumed to be four for exemplary
purposes) different images, each at a discrete separate narrow
spectral band, of the sun. This adaptation involves the addition of
elements both at the entrance side (i.e., left-hand in FIG. 1) and
exit or image side (i.e., right-hand in FIG. 1) of the original
telescope.
At the left-hand or entrance end of the telescope, an opaque disc
40 is positioned at or adjacent the open end 38 of tube 12. This
opaque disc 40 contains a plurality of apertures, preferably so
arranged that the beams passing therethrough will avoid the various
arms 34 of spider 28. For example, if the spider consists of four
such radial arms in the diagonal pattern indicated in FIG. 2, the
apertures 42a, 42b, 42c and 42d are preferably positioned as shown
in that figure, so that the beams passing therethrough also avoid
the spider arms. Associated with each of these apertures 42a--42d
is a filter (44a, 44b, 44c and 44d), which reflects substantially
all of the solar radiation falling thereon except in the vicinity
of that wavelength at which one of the spectral images is to be
photographed (or measured). Such a reflecting filter will in
general eliminate over 99 percent of the radiation outside of the
neighborhood of the spectral band involved in the measurement, but
will pass most of the radiation in the immediate vicinity of the
wavelength at which measurements or photographs are being made.
Since in general each simultaneous measurement will be made at a
wavelength that is relatively widely spaced from each of the other
wavelengths, each of the apertures (42a--42d) will usually have a
reflecting filter 44a--44d, respectively, of different spectral
characteristics, so that each passes radiation at and in the
vicinity of the respective wavelength desired for its "channel." An
explanation of the type of reflecting filters preferably used at
44a--44d will be given hereinafter.
At the exit or image side (i.e., at the right in FIG. 1) of the
telescope, a plurality of separate monochromatic image-forming
units are positioned as indicated generally at 50. These
spectrographic units will be of the same number and in the same
geometric arrangement as apertures 42a--42d (and filters 44a--44d),
or more exactly will be in an inverted geometric relationship
relative to the apertures. Although in a symmetrical arrangement,
such as shown in the exemplary embodiment, this inverse
relationship is not apparent, the spectrographic units 52a, 52b,
52c and 52d have been so designated so as to correspond to the
apertures (and filters) from which they receive the radiant beam
(compare FIGS. 2 and 3). Each of these spectrographic units will
comprise an element, such as filter 54a, 54b, etc. which will act
as a monochromator so as to pass only an extremely narrow-band
centered about the spectral line intended to be recorded by that
particular unit. Such "spike" filters, which pass a high percentage
of radiation only in an extremely narrow bandwidth (for example,
about one or at most a very few angstroms wide) may be made by
special design of so called "interference" type filters. Such
filters consist of a series of extremely thin (fractions of a
wavelength of light) layers, the relative thickness and index of
refraction of each layer being carefully controlled so as to cause
substantially complete rejection of wavelengths in the near
vicinity of the extremely narrow spectral band that is passed.
Preferably the filters are of a type more fully explained
hereinafter.
After passing through such an extremely narrow wavelength band-pass
filter, the radiation will be imaged by an individual optical
system, exemplified by a simple lens 56a, 56b, etc. onto a
recording device, 58a, 58b, etc. Although the individual optical
system 56a--56d and the recording means 58a--58d may in general be
identical to each other, each of the extremely narrow band-pass
filters 54a, 54b, 54c and 54d will differ from the others so as to
pass a specifically different spectral line. Thus, each of the
different recording elements 581--58d (which may merely be pieces
of film or even different portions of the same photographic film or
plate) will receive exclusively a different spectral emission line
of the sun. Since these recordings may be made simultaneously,
variations in both the intensity of the original object (i.e., the
sun) and changing "seeing" conditions will have no substantial
effect on the relative intensity of such simultaneous
photographs.
A field lens 60 is preferably positioned at or near the original
image plane 24 of the astronomical telescope and is of such
dioptric power and position relative to the spectrographic units
(52a--52d) that it will image each of the original entrance
apertures (421--42d) onto the entrance aperture or pupil of the
corresponding unit (52a--52d). Such a field lens 60 both assists in
maintaining the intended separation of the four beams, as well as
simplifying the optical requirements of each unit (and in
particular optical systems 56a--56d) by effectively matching the
various pupils of the original telescope and the spectrographic
imaging system. Each of the spectrographic units 52a--52d
preferably includes its own opaque tube or generally cylindrical
light baffle, as indicated at 62a--62d, the adjacent surfaces being
preferably connected to form an integral assembly. The entire exit
or image assembly 50 (i.e., elements 52--58) and the field lens 60
may be housed (and supported) by an opaque tube 70, having on its
right-hand end a removable cap 72 so as to allow access to the
spectrographic units (52a--52d) and especially the recording
elements 58a--58d, when photographic film is utilized. Preferably
the spectrographic image assembly 50 is removably mounted in
supporting tube 70 as by being slidably inserted therein from the
right-hand and say, up against an internal annular stop 73 (which
may be adjustable by being in the form of a screw-threaded ring,
for example). In this manner access to filters 54a--54d (for
changing, cleaning, etc.) and optical systems 56a--56d may be
readily obtained. Obviously, various other techniques (such as the
provision of doors in tube 70) may be employed instead for
permitting access to the various elements (notably, 58a--58d and
54a--54d) of the spectrographic assembly. Exposure of the
photographic film may be controlled by any conventional shutter
mechanism schematically illustrated as a movable slide 74 (adjacent
the original image plane 24 of the telescope) which may be moved in
and out of a blocking position as diagrammatically indicated by
arrow 76. Obviously a leaf-type (or other symmetrical) shutter may
be utilized at any desired location to cause simultaneous exposure
of the photographic film or other recording devices (at 58a--58d);
each of the individual spectrographic units may also be supplied
with its own individual auxiliary shutter to allow less than the
maximum number (four in the illustrated embodiment) of spectrograms
to be recorded at once.
OPERATION
In order to make, say, four simultaneous spectroheliograms, each at
a discrete very narrow wavelength band or line, the exemplary
apparatus is operated as follows. Unexposed photographic film or
plate material is positioned at 58a--58d, while taking the usual
precautions against exposing such film to any actinic radiation. As
previously noted the removable end closure member 72 will
facilitate this "loading" of the spectroheliograph. Upon reclosing,
the apparatus is pointed at the sun (or that portion of the sun it
is desired to investigate), and a photograph made by opening the
shutter (schematically illustrated at 74). Whenever the apparatus
is pointed in the general direction of the sun, the moderately
broad band-pass blocking filters 44a--44d will cause reflection of
substantially all of the solar radiation outside of its moderately
narrow wavelength band-pass back generally to the left in FIG. 1.
Such a reflective moderate band-pass filter may be of the "induced
transmission" layered type described by P. H. Berning and A. F.
Turner in the Journal of the Optical Society of America, Vol. 47
(1957) pages 230--239. Such filters comprise one or more moderately
thin metallic layers, plus one or more assemblies of extremely thin
(fractions of wavelengths) multiple layers of dielectric
materials.
Such a multilayer interference filter of the "induced transmission"
type will have a band pass of approximately 30 to 200 A. Although
in theory all of these blocking filters 44a--44d could be
identical, if the individual spectral lines at which the different
photographs are to be taken were close together, in general the
four different spectral lines will be separated from each other by
more than the 30 to 200 A that a single such induced transmission
filter passes. For this reason, each of the blocking filters 44a,
44b, 44c and 44d will typically be different (i.e., pass a
different, approximately 100 A band), so that each of the four
spectral lines lies at least near the center of the band pass of
its particular blocking filter 44a--44d.
Each of the very narrow band-pass filters 54a--54d is of the
"spike" type that passes only an extremely narrow wavelength band.
In particular, the band pass as measured by the half-width (the
half-width being the horizontal distance between the two points on
the transmission wavelength curve at which the transmitted
intensity is half of the peak intensity, the abscissa being in,
say, angstrom units) may be as little as 0.1 A to at most a very
few angstroms. Such "spike" transmission filters may comprise a
multilayer dielectric type interference coating on both sides of a
thin plane parallel transparent material (having a thickness of an
integral number of half wavelengths). An example of this type of
filter (having a theoretical half-width of about 1 and an actual
half-width of about 3 angstroms) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
3,039,362, issued on June 19, 1962, by J. A. Dobrowolski. Improved
versions of this type of filter, having half-widths of fractions of
an angstrom (e.g., 1/10 to 1/2A), are disclosed in the three
following U.S. Pat. applications, all assigned to the assignee of
the present application: Ser. No. 667,815 filed Sept. 14, 1967 in
the name of Joseph Vrabel; Ser. No. 700,928 filed Jan. 26, 1968 by
Robert R. Austin; and Ser. No. 709,661 filed Mar. 1, 1968 by the
same inventor.
The basic "sandwich," comprising a first multiple layer dielectric
coating, a controlled thickness transparent support, and a second
multilayer dielectric coating, will pass a series of extremely
narrow bands (i.e., half-widths of from a moderate fraction of an
angstrom to a very few angstroms), each very narrow band being
spaced from the adjacent ones by a distance more than 10 times its
half-width (i.e., a typical spacing of the bands will be
approximately 30 A). One of these very narrow spectral bands may be
isolated by providing a narrow (i.e., about 10 -angstrom
half-width) conventional multilayer dielectric filter, so as to
pass the desired extremely narrow band but to reject the other
narrow bands in the series. As described, for example, in the
various above-mentioned U.S. Pat. applications, this auxiliary
filter may be combined directly with the "sandwich" type extremely
narrow-band filter.
The "blocking" reflecting filters 44a--44d greatly diminish the
overall intensity of the total radiation within the telescope and
its image space. Without some provision for this purpose, the
radiation flux density in certain areas (and in particular in the
vicinity of the principal focal plane at point 24) would prohibit
the positioning of any element (e.g., field lens 60) in such
intense radiation. A related advantageous effect is that the
individual extremely narrow pass filters 54a--54d are exposed only
to radiation in the wavelength vicinity of the desired spectral
line therefore reducing the (heat) energy dissipated by these
filters, as well as simplifying their design (by limiting the
required breadth of the wavelength band in which radiation must be
rejected, surrounding their "spike" transmission peak).
Thus, each of the moderately broad band-pass reflecting blocking
filters 44a--44d will pass approximately a 100 A band, near the
center of which is the particular spectral line desired to be
isolated in each of the four different spectrographs 52a--52d. Each
of the extremely narrow band-pass filters 54a--54d will isolate a
different spectral line, so that each of the four spectroheliograms
will result from a different emitted spectral line of the sun.
Since the apparatus of the invention allows these four different
(as to spectral line) spectroheliograms to be made simultaneously,
all four will be affected in the same manner by random changes in
the conditions (including, for example, temporal variations in the
intensity of the solar radiation, variation in the "seeing"
conditions, and the like). The inventive apparatus thus allows the
direct comparison of the intensity of the spectral emission by any
part of the sun at four different spectral lines
simultaneously.
The fact that all (say, four) spectrograms are made simultaneously
assures not only that the measured relative intensities of the
spectral lines will be the same as were true at the source, but
also that any other effects (e.g., Doppler shifts) are also equally
present, relatively, in the four simultaneous measurements. Thus,
each of the various individual spectrograms acts as a "control" or
reference for the others. As noted at the beginning of this
specification, one of the most important spectral lines of interest
is the hydrogen-alpha line (at 6562.85 A). Both the relative
intensity of this line and any Doppler or other shift thereof are
of interest concerning study of the physical properties of the sun
for investigating such questions as the underlying thermonuclear
reactions, the various phenomena near the solar surface (e.g.,
sunspots and related effects), as well as other fields of
investigation. Other prominent solar spectral lines may also be
studied for various other purposes, as well understood by
astronomers.
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with a
specific type of conventional astronomical telescope, it is obvious
that many other types of such telescopes may be readily adapted in
a similar manner. Although described in the exemplary embodiment
for simultaneously forming four spectroheliograms, it is obvious
that the apparatus may be readily modified to produce a different
number. Typically, besides a bright hydrogen line (as already
noted), one would utilize, for example, a bright calcium line, a
bright iron line and the like to obtain a more definitive "picture"
of the solar phenomenon (e.g., solar flare) being observed. The
number of "channels" in the telescope may be varied depending on
the number of such spectral lines desired to be recorded
simultaneously. It should be noted that in the exemplary
embodiment, the original spider arms 34 supporting the secondary
mirror are no longer in the path of any light which is ultimately
collected, thereby avoiding edge diffraction effects usually caused
thereby.
The limiting of each "channel" to only a fractional part of the
total radiation which would otherwise enter the telescope from the
sun (by the provision of apertures 42a--42d) not only performs the
usual attenuation of the excess intensity of the radiation of the
sun, but also improves the performance of the instrument in several
ways. Perhaps the most important effect is to increase the
"sharpness" of the transmission "spike" of the narrow band
interference filters (54a, 54b, etc.). Thus, an exemplary filter of
this type, commercially available from The Perkin-Elmer
Corporation, Main Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut and designed to pass
the hydrogen-alpha line, shows a marked improvement in the
narrowness of the transmission peak for smaller aperture angles
(higher "f numbers"). For example, such a filter showed, for a zero
half field angle (i.e., a point source) with the filter exactly
perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging system, the
following calculated transmission curves as the acceptance cone
angle of the imaging system (positioned in front of the filter) was
changed. For a f/infinity system (i.e., a zero cone angle, so that
only paraxial rays are passed by the imaging system), the
theoretical curve had a maximum transmission of about 96 percent
and a half-width band-pass of 0.50A; for f/40, the maximum
transmission was about 89 percent and a half-width of 0.55A; for
f/30, peak transmission decreased to about 79 percent and the
half-width increased to 0.65A; at f/20, the peak fell to only about
54 percent transmission and the half-width rose to 1.1A. There was
also a slight shift of the peak toward lower wavelengths (about
0.1A between each of the three "finite" f-number examples just
given), caused of course by the fact that as the aperture cone
angle increases, the "average" or most prevalent ray is no longer
perpendicularly incident on the filter. Therefore, the majority of
the radiation travels through the filter at a slight angle; as is
well known, this causes a shift (very slight in this case) of the
peak transmission wavelength of a multilayer interference filter
(see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,444 issued to R. W. Frykman
on June 21, 1960). For f numbers less than f/20, the performance of
this filter degrades quite rapidly so that by f/7 the transmission
curve is not even a generally bell-shaped curve with a single
maximum, but rather has a very broad (many angstroms wide) plateau
region which contains several (about 9) similar height (varying
from about 9 to about 19 percent) transmission "peaks," irregularly
spaced about 3/4angstrom apart. This irregularly peaked, plateau
curve transmits at least about 5 percent over a range of
approximately 4A on each side of its 19 percent transmission peak
(and had a more than 10 percent peak slightly over 3A away from the
19 percent central peak). This curve could be called a 19 percent
peak transmission with about a 7 A half-width, but is more aptly
thought of as an 8A band-pass filter with a series of nine peaks
over the central 7A part of this band.
Thus an f/13.5 telescope (of, say, 24 inch clear aperture and a 324
inch effective focal length) could not practically use the
straight-forward optical system of the exemplary embodiment without
serious degradation of the sharpness of the band-pass
characteristics of the individual filters (54a, 54b, etc.) if the
entire aperture were used. The subdividing of the whole aperture
into, say, four f/40 subtelescopes (e.g., with four 8-inch diameter
apertures and blocking filters at 42a, 42b, etc., and 44a, 44b,
etc., respectively) causes a true "spike" type of spectral
transmission by the filter. For the exemplary filter discussed,
isolation of the hydrogren-alpha line is obtained to the extent
desired for solar spectroscopy only for cone angles corresponding
to about f/34 (or higher), so that by f/40 the sharpness of the
"spike" is adequate even for the moderately small field angles
utilized. To optimize performance each of the narrow band-pass
filters (54a, 54b, etc.) should be perpendicular to the optical
axis of its own subsystem (i.e., the line from image point 24
through the center of the particular filter, 54, the optical center
of succeeding small lens, 56, and the center of the particular
utilized part of the image receiver, 58). Although in theory there
will be a slight broadening and loss of symmetry in the
transmission spike if the filter is not so aligned, the primary
effect of slight tilting of the filter from this relationship will
be to cause a small shift in the wavelength of the transmission
peak. It is therefore possible to "tune" the transmission maximum
of a given filter (by a few tenths of an angstrom, for example, for
the type of filter described) to compensate, say, for temperature
changes or the like.
Additionally, since each of the four beams passing through the
system utilized only the same zones of both the primary and
secondary mirrors, the various aberrations will be less in each of
the four individual images than would be the case if radiation from
all parts of both mirrors (14, 20) were used, since a limited zone
of the system will have less relative optical "error" than
different parts of the entire system do. Additionally, the fact
that the system has been effectively "stopped down" (e.g.,
converting a, say, f/13.5 telescope to four f/40 subtelescopes) not
only improves the imagery of the telescope itself, but also
simplifies the design of highly corrected other optics (notably the
reimaging systems, exemplarily represented by lenses 56a--56d).
As previously pointed out, none of the details of the original
astronomical telescope (i.e., elements 12--38), the exact number of
individual units (i.e., the elements identified by a reference
numeral followed by the letter a, b, c, etc.), nor in general the
specific structure of the various individual elements comprising
the various assemblies of the entire apparatus are in general
necessary to the invention. Therefore, all of these may be changed
without departing from the actual invention, which is defined by
the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *