The Copper Vapor Laser A Novel Light Source For High-Speed Photography

Robert E. Grove; W. B. Abrahams; A. Mallan

doi:10.1117/12.967953

1 February 1985 The Copper Vapor Laser A Novel Light Source For High-Speed Photography

Robert E. Grove, W. B. Abrahams, A. Mallan

Proceedings Volume 0491, 16th Intl Congress on High Speed Photography and Photonics; (1985) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.967953
Event: 16th International Congress on High Speed Photography and Photonics, 1984, Strasbourg, France

Abstract

Many of the limitations associated with conventional (incoherent) stroboscopic sources for high-speed photography can be overcome by the use of the copper laser for illumination. Properties of this short pulse, high-repetition-rate visible source are discussed and its use with a high-speed video camera described. Many of the limitations associated with conventional (incoherent) light sources for high-speed film or video recording can be overcome by the use of the copper vapor laser (CVL) for illumination. These limitations include: 1) mechanical shutter-speed constraints 2) limited repetition rate of strobes 3) relatively long pulse widths (4 microseconds) 4) proximity requirements of light source to subject 5) substantial target heat-loading These problems are reduced or eliminated by the use of the copper laser for illumination. The CVL is a pulsed, visible laser which has recently gained wide commercial acceptance as an efficient, rugged laser source for a variety of scientific and commercial applications. The laser produces pulses of 2-8 mJ in energy at a repetition rate of 4-6 kHz. The resulting total average power is 10-40 W at 510 nm and 578 nm. The laser's repetition rate exceeds by a factor of three to ten that of the fastest conventional strobe sources, allowing blur-free multiple images within a reasonable illumination field size. For example, a projectile traveling at 1500 m/s moves a distance of less than 50 microns during CVL illumination and only about 25 cm between pulses. Thus the copper laser can be used to measure not only projectile velocity but acceleration, spin rate and spin acceleration as well.

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Robert E. Grove, W. B. Abrahams, and A. Mallan "The Copper Vapor Laser A Novel Light Source For High-Speed Photography", Proc. SPIE 0491, 16th Intl Congress on High Speed Photography and Photonics, (1 February 1985); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.967953

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KEYWORDS

Copper vapor lasers

Video

High speed photography

Light sources

Cameras

Argon ion lasers

Photography

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