Abstract

Our rapid-scan spectrograph has been modified to provide a means of recording many time-resolved profiles of one emission line from a transient plasma. This is accomplished by scanning an emission line across an array of closely spaced exit slits. Post-optics have been designed which direct the radiation from each slit to the same photomultiplier tube. At a spectral scan speed of 120 Å/μsec, an emission line profile has been scanned every 1.4 μsec; however, with closer spaced slits, this time could be easily halved. This device has been used to obtain Stark-broadened H_α and H_β line profiles from hydrogen heated in an impulse tube. Electron densities obtained by fitting the line wings of H_α compare very well with values obtained from the half-width of H_β.

© 1965 Optical Society of America

A Rapid Scan Spectrograph for Plasma Spectroscopy

R. A. Hill and E. H. Beckner
Appl. Opt. 3(8) 929-932 (1964)

A Dual Recording, Variable Range, Rapid-Scan Spectrometer; Comparison of Simultaneously Recorded Stark-Broadened Hα and Hβ Line Profiles

R. A. Hill and R. D. Fellerhoff
Appl. Opt. 5(7) 1105-1110 (1966)

Rapid Scan Spectrometers for the Diagnostics of Transient Plasmas

R. A. Hill
Appl. Opt. 7(11) 2184-2189 (1968)

An Image Intensifying Shutter for Observing Transient Plasmas

James R. Roberts
Appl. Opt. 4(9) 1179-1183 (1965)

A Streak Spectrograph with Microsecond Resolution

D. E. Buttrey
Appl. Opt. 6(5) 881-883 (1967)