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Photonics Dictionary

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JSTARS
joint surveillance target attack system
additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional objects by adding material layer by layer. This is in contrast to...
angular spectrum approach
The angular spectrum approach is a mathematical and computational technique used in the field of optics to analyze and simulate the propagation of optical waves, particularly in the context of wave...
area image sensor -> mosaic detector array
A group of photosensors arranged in a grid-like pattern covering the entire field of view, enabling them to record it all at once (as a camera records an image on film) rather than by scanning parts...
artificial star
A point source of light used for the test and evaluation of image quality. May be a backlit pinhole in an otherwise opaque sheet placed at an appropriately large distance from the lens being tested.
astronomical camera
A camera designed to record astronomical objects (e.g., stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies) and their spectra.
astronomical mirror
An astronomical mirror, also known as a telescope mirror or primary mirror, is a key component of a reflecting telescope. It serves as the primary optical element responsible for gathering and...
astronomical telescope
An astronomical telescope is a type of optical instrument designed to gather and magnify light from distant celestial objects for observation and analysis. It typically consists of two main optical...
asynchronous transmission
A mode of data transmission whereby each bit of information is generated separately, with some stop/start code to indicate the interval between bits.
BIDS
broadband integrated distributed star
Bjerrum screen
In ophthalmic practice, an instrument that determines the boundaries of the field of view. It is composed of a 2-m square of black velvet with a white spot center at which the patient, 1 m away,...
black hole
A cosmic phenomenon in which the mass and density of a star pass a critical point so that the escape velocity matches the speed of light. For this reason, light and matter are "captured'' by the...
carbon arc
An electric discharge between two carbon rods that are touched together to start the arc and then separated slightly. The light comes from the heated carbon vapor. High-intensity arcs use cored...
carbonization
Carbonization is a process in which organic materials are heated in the absence of air, leading to the decomposition of the material and the production of carbon-rich residue. During carbonization,...
collimated light -> collimated radiation
Radiation in which every ray from any given object point can be considered to be parallel to every other. This is never completely the case: The light from a star is really diverging, and all...
collimated radiation
Radiation in which every ray from any given object point can be considered to be parallel to every other. This is never completely the case: The light from a star is really diverging, and all...
comparison spectroscope
A device used for the comparison of spectra used, in turn, for the comparison of elements, such as the absorption lines in the spectra of stars and the spectra of elements in the stars being observed.
current transient
A sudden, brief increase in current or voltage in a circuit that can damage sensitive components and instruments. Preventive measures include slow-starter circuits, filtering and static control.
D-star -> D*
A value used to designate the relative sensitivity of a detector. The higher the D* value, the better the detector.
distance-luminosity relationship
In astronomy, the relation that states that the intensity of a star's visible radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from which it is viewed.
drift scan
An astronomical scanning technique for capturing images of stars without moving the sensor. To perform a drift scan, a CCD sensor's readout rate must be synchronized with the motion of celestial...
dynamic stare sensor
A type of mosaic detector array that combines features of scanning and staring sensors by using a small rapid scanning motion (see saccadic motion) over a few pixels at a time.
einstein
A unit of energy equal to the amount of energy absorbed by one molecule of material undergoing a photochemical reaction, as determined by the Stark-Einstein law.
emission spectrum
An emission spectrum is a graphical representation or a characteristic pattern of the wavelengths or frequencies of light emitted by a source, such as an atom, molecule, or celestial object. It shows...
equatorial mount
A telescope stand equipped with a polar axis that can be set parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation and a declination axis that is at right angles to the polar axis. If the telescope is turned at a...
explosive variable
In cosmology, a star that exhibits a rapid increase in the magnitude of light, which is followed by a slow decrease in magnitude. The nova and supernova are explosive variables.
FASTAR
frequency angle scanning, tracking and ranging
fiber optic preform
A fiber optic preform is a cylindrical glass rod or tube used as the starting material for manufacturing optical fibers. It serves as the precursor from which optical fibers are drawn. The process of...
flasher
A device that is designed to automatically turn electric lamps on and off in a rapidly repeating sequence. The device may use a motor-driven mechanism or a combination heater filament and bimetallic...
flyback
The time it takes a cathode-ray tube's electron beam to return to its starting point after completing one line, one field or one trace.
framer
A device that permits the adjustment of facsimile transmitters and recorders so that their scanning lines stop and start at the same place in relation to the subject copy.
Fried length
The length of the small space within which the atmosphere exhibits coherence, particularly in relation to an observer on Earth viewing celestial objects. The turbulence of the Earth's atmosphere...
gegenschein-zodiacal light photometer
A photometer used to measure sky brightness and polarization associated with zodiacal light, background starlight, F-region airglow and spacecraft corona.
hub
The center of a local area network in the star topology.
inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a method of achieving nuclear fusion, a process where two atomic nuclei combine to release energy. In the case of inertial confinement fusion, the fusion reaction...
inertial fusion energy
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) refers to a proposed method of generating electricity by harnessing the energy released from the fusion of light atomic nuclei, typically isotopes of hydrogen, through a...
interstellar absorption lines
Sharp and narrow absorption lines found in the spectra of stars. They result from the absorption of a part of a star's emittance by interstellar gases.
laser guide star
An artificial star used to aid in adaptive optics imaging of the sky. The guide star is provided from a telescope system on the ground and is directed into the imaged region. The wavefront...
laser sintering
Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology that involves using a laser to selectively fuse powdered materials, typically polymers or metals, layer by layer, to create...
lens blank
A lens blank is a piece of optical material in a raw, unfinished state, typically in the form of a disk or block, from which lenses are eventually fabricated. Lens blanks are made from various...
linar
Celestial point sources that emit specific wavelengths of radiation that appear on spectral charts as narrow lines. The term linar is a contraction of line and star.
MAU
media access unit — A media access unit (MAU) is a unique device utilized to connect token ring devices from multiple network stations into a star topology. There are two types of MAUs, passive and active. Passive MAUs are powered from their network connections while active MAUs are powered electrically from an external source.
Michelson stellar interferometer
An interferometer constructed to be positioned on a telescope to measure the angular separation of the components of double stars.
mid-infrared camera
A mid-infrared camera is a type of imaging device designed to capture images in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range, typically spanning wavelengths from approximately 3 to 12 µm. This...
mirror blank
A mirror blank refers to the initial piece of material from which a mirror is made. It is typically a flat or slightly curved piece of glass or other substrate that serves as the starting point for...
mirror substrate -> mirror blank
A mirror blank refers to the initial piece of material from which a mirror is made. It is typically a flat or slightly curved piece of glass or other substrate that serves as the starting point for...
mosaic detector array
A group of photosensors arranged in a grid-like pattern covering the entire field of view, enabling them to record it all at once (as a camera records an image on film) rather than by scanning parts...
nuclear fusion
In physics, nuclear fusion refers to the process in which two atomic nuclei come together to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy. This process powers the sun and other stars...
objective grating
A coarse diffraction grating that is used to form a scale of intensities to determine the relative magnitudes of stars. The grating is placed over the objective of a telescope to form a diffraction...
parallel beam -> collimated radiation
Radiation in which every ray from any given object point can be considered to be parallel to every other. This is never completely the case: The light from a star is really diverging, and all...

Photonics Dictionary


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