A confocal holography microscope for microgravity experiments
- Paper ID
IAF-02-J.5.01
- author
- company
Space Sciences Group, Canadian Space Agency
- country
Canada
- year
2002
- abstract
A new type of microscope, referred to as a Confocal Holography (CH) microscope, bas being constructed at the Canadian Space Agency and is being tested for use in microgravity experiments involving the non- intrusive measurement of temperatures and compositions inside objects in order to better diagnose mass and heat transfer mechanisms. This microscope generates three dimensional amplitude and phase images from holograms taken from transparent objects. Combining the design concepts of confocal scanning Laser microscopes and holography microscopes created the CH microscope. The CH microscope claims to measure both the phase and amplitude of a beam inside an object. The complete amplitude and phase image of the object consists of all the measured amplitudes and phases of the three dimensional information, combined in proper registry. From the phase information obtained, the refractive index of the object can be determined, which can be used to obtain the object’s absolute state, such as its absolute temperature and absolute composition, necessary information for high-level science experiments, studying heat and mass transport.