1 February 1994 Novel low-energy neutral atom imaging technique
Earl E. Scime, Herbert O. Funsten III, David J. McComas, Kurt R. Moore, Michael A. Gruntman
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Recently proposed low-energy neutral atom (LENA) imaging techniques rely on collisional processes to convert LENAs into ions to separate the neutrals from the intense UV radiation background. At low energies, these collisional processes have poor conversion efficiencies and limit the angular resolution of these devices. However, if the intense UV light background can be suppressed, direct LENA detection is possible. We present results from a series of experiments designed to develop a novel filtering structure based on free-standing gold transmission gratings. If the grating period is sufficiently small, the gratings can substantially polarize UV light in the wavelength range 300 to 1500 Å. If a second grating is placed behind the first grating with its axis of polarization oriented perpendicular to that of the first, considerable attenuation of the UV radiation is achievable. The neutrals pass through the remaining open area of two gratings and are directly detected. We have obtained nominal 2000-Å-period (1000-Å bars with 1000-Å slits) gratings and measured their UV and atomic transmission characteristics. The geometric factor of a LENA imager based on this technology is comparable to that of other proposed LENA imagers, with a significantly better angular resolution.
Earl E. Scime, Herbert O. Funsten III, David J. McComas, Kurt R. Moore, and Michael A. Gruntman "Novel low-energy neutral atom imaging technique," Optical Engineering 33(2), (1 February 1994). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.155919
Published: 1 February 1994
Lens.org Logo
CITATIONS
Cited by 17 scholarly publications.
Advertisement
Advertisement
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission  Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace
KEYWORDS
Ultraviolet radiation

Imaging systems

Microchannel plates

Chemical species

Spatial resolution

Sensors

Polarization

RELATED CONTENT

Advances in low-energy neutral-atom imaging techniques
Proceedings of SPIE (July 07 1993)
Imaging detector in the near UV
Proceedings of SPIE (August 11 1998)
Low-energy neutral-atom imaging
Proceedings of SPIE (June 01 1992)
The Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS)
Proceedings of SPIE (September 17 2012)

Back to Top