Point diffraction interferometer for fluids study in microgravity environment
| Autor: | F. Trespidi, U. Perini, S. Musazzi |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1993 |
| Předmět: |
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
Physics Diffraction business.industry Mechanical Engineering General Chemical Engineering Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics Aerospace Engineering Fluid mechanics Holographic interferometry Point diffraction interferometer Interferometry Optics Nuclear Energy and Engineering Schlieren Astronomical interferometer business Refractive index |
| Zdroj: | Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science. 6:49-55 |
| ISSN: | 0894-1777 |
| Popis: | We present an interferometric apparatus for fluids study that will be used for experiments in microgravity onboard Spacelab in the IML2 mission (scheduled for early 1994). The point diffraction interferometer (PDI) was selected from among various types of interferometers because of its simplicity and inherent stability. Furthermore, because of the environmental conditions in which the instrument has to operate, and to reduce the manipulations of the Spacelab payload specialist, the main technical objective was to design a system where the most delicate operation, the control of the alignment of the optical components, is made by an active servosystem. The servosystem also allows the interferometer to work properly in the presence of large refractive index gradients. Furthermore, when the perturbation becomes so great that the use of interferometric equipment becomes questionable, the interferometric assembly can easily be switched to a schlieren system; which is more appropriate for observing strong index of refraction variations. A laboratory prototype of the instrument has been developed and successfully tested. The instrument that will be mounted onboard Spacelab is under construction and is to be completed by the end of 1992. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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