Miniature grism system for astronomical spectroscopy
AssigneeUniversity of Iowa Research Foundation
InventorsDominic Ludovici, Robert Mutel
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Abstract
The invention is directed at a miniature grism system. The miniature grism system is a single compact device that comprises a grism with collimating and focusing optics. In an aspect, the grism includes at least one prism and a grating. In an aspect, the miniature grism system, and more specifically the grism, includes at least one prism which is placed on either side of the grating. The focusing optics and the collimating optics are found on opposite sides of the grism system, sandwiching the prism and grating of the grism. In an aspect, the miniature grism system is configured to be retained within a filter wheel. The miniature grism system is configured to be used with telescopes having a small focal ratio.
Claims20
A grism system configured for use with a telescope, the grism system comprising:
- a. collimating optics;
- b. a grism oriented next to the collimating optics, the grism comprising:
- i. at least one prism;
- and
- ii. a grating;
- c. focusing optics oriented next to grism opposite the collimating optics;
- and
- d. an enclosure housing the collimating optics, the grism, and the focusing optics,
- wherein the enclosure is configured to fit into a filter slot of a filter wheel of the telescope.
A grism system configured for use with a filter wheel of a telescope having a camera, the grism system configured to produce a spectrum, the grism system comprising:
- a. at least one achromatic collimating lens;
- b. a grism comprising:
- i. a first prism having a first prism deviation angle;
- ii. a second prism having a second prism deviation angle;
- and
- iii. a blazed transmission grating having a deviation angle, the grating positioned between the first and second prisms, wherein the sum of the first and the second prism deviation angles equals the grating deviation angle;
- c at least one achromatic focusing lens oriented next to the grism opposite the at least one achromatic collimating lens;
- and
- d. an enclosure housing the at least one achromatic collimating and focusing lenses, and the grism, the enclosure configured to be retained within a slot of the filter wheel, wherein the grism system allows the camera of the telescope to operate between spectroscopy and imaging without removing the grism system from the telescope.
A grism system configured for use with a telescope, the grism system comprising:
- a. collimating optics;
- b. a grism oriented next to the collimating optics, the grism comprising:
- i. at least one prism;
- and
- ii. a grating;
- c. focusing optics oriented next to grism opposite the collimating optics;
- and
- d. an enclosure housing the collimating optics, the grism, and the focusing optics,
- wherein the enclosure is configured to fit into a filter slot of a filter wheel of the telescope, wherein the grism system is configured to generate a spectrum to be captured by a camera associated with the telescope for spectroscopy, and the grism system is further configured to allow the camera to be used for imaging without the grism system being removed from the telescope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.