Optical microscope for nuclear emulsion readout: system design and results in application

Kerstin Winkler; Lienhard Koerner; Peter Gussek; Istvan Balogh; Stefan Breitfelder; Johannes Schlichting; Jean-Pierre Dupraz; Jean-Paul Fabre; Jaap Panman; Ioannis M. Papadopoulos; Piero Zucchelli; Bart van de Vyver

doi:10.1117/12.368221

5 October 1999 Optical microscope for nuclear emulsion readout: system design and results in application

Kerstin Winkler, Lienhard Koerner, Peter Gussek, Istvan Balogh, Stefan Breitfelder, Johannes Schlichting, Jean-Pierre Dupraz, Jean-Paul Fabre, Jaap Panman, Ioannis M. Papadopoulos, Piero Zucchelli, Bart van de Vyver

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3779, Current Developments in Optical Design and Optical Engineering VIII; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.368221
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

Experiments such as CHORUS at CERN require the inspection of a large amount of nuclear emulsion plates exposed to particle beams. Rare events need to be found, measured and analyzed. Their features are stored as grains in microscopic dimensions in a 3D stack of plates. A new, fully automatic immersion microscope system was developed for this purpose. It features high resolution, small depth of focus, large working distance, large field of view and synchronization of illumination and detector. An additional requirement is given by variations in the refraction index and in the relative thickness of immersion oil and emulsion. The approach used here is an imaging system based on a various objective lens with extreme numerical aperture, large working distance and wide field, combined with a matched high-aperture Koehler illuminator. The light source is a mercury arc lamp, combined with a filter package for the g- line. It includes liquid crystal elements for synchronized shuttering and variable attenuation. The theoretical resolution is less than 1 micron in x, y, z within a volume of 0.5mm diameter times 1 mm scanning depth in all situations within a predefined index range. Three identical pieces of the system have been built. The identical pieces of the system have been built. The experimentally measured resolution confirms the expectations and is better than 1 micron in all three dimensions. This is the result of a complex process of system design and manufacturing, unifying optical, opto-mechanical and opto-electronical contributions. This process spans from the early stages of feasibility and manufacturing up to the test and adjustment procedures. The three prototypes are operational since the fall of 1998 in the frame of the CHORUS project. Practical experience and application results are presented.

Citation Download Citation

Kerstin Winkler, Lienhard Koerner, Peter Gussek, Istvan Balogh, Stefan Breitfelder, Johannes Schlichting, Jean-Pierre Dupraz, Jean-Paul Fabre, Jaap Panman, Ioannis M. Papadopoulos, Piero Zucchelli, and Bart van de Vyver "Optical microscope for nuclear emulsion readout: system design and results in application", Proc. SPIE 3779, Current Developments in Optical Design and Optical Engineering VIII, (5 October 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.368221

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available