When the camera was not in operation the
altimeter was able to measure the command
Fig. 5 Individual cells of an onion skin magnified 400 times.
Acoustic microscope
Initial experiments with an acoustic
microscope were described by
Drs A. Korpel, L.W. Kessler and
P.R. Palermo in a July issue of
‘Nature’.
The specimen to be investigated by the
microscope is suspended in water and
a 1OOMHz sound wave is sent through
it. The transmitted sound strikes a
plastic mirror oriented at 45’ to the
wave and causes a dynamic ripple
pattern on the mirrored surface. The
ripples caused a laser beam reflected
off the mirror to be deflected. This
angularly modulated reflected light
beam gives rise to an electrical signal
in a photodiode when half the beam
is intercepted by a knife edge. This
signal is proportional to the angular
displacement of the laser beam and
hence to the local sound pressure
amplitude. The scan of the light beam
is synchronised with that of a conven-
tional television monitor. If the 100
MHz signal from the photodiode is
rectified and applied to the television
monitor, a magnified picture of the
sound field appears on the screen.
Using this microscope, what is believed
to be the first acoustic microscope
photograph of actual biological cell
structure was taken (Fig. 5). The
laser beam was focused to a spot size
of about 12 pm and scans an area of
approx 1 mm’. The magnification
from the mirror to the screen is about
400. In later versions it is hoped to
improve the resolution by operating
at frequencies 10 to 1.5 times greater.
Zenith Radio Corporation, Research
Department, 6001 W. Dickens Avenue,
Chicago, lllinois 60639, USA.
Laser in orbit
Apollo 15 on its flight to the moon
carried aboard a laser altimeter developed
by RCA.
The system carried aboard the command
service module in addition to measuring
the spaceship’s altitude, worked in con-
junction with a mapping camera during
precision photographic surveys of lunar
topographical features. The laser altimeter
registered the distance of the command
module above the moon’s surface each
time the mapping camera exposed a film
frame. The altitude measurement was
registered directly onto the film. The
information gained from these photo
graphs should provide valuable information
on the origin of lunar formations and
could also be used to select landing sites
for future missions.
Fig. 6 Mobile ‘Lidar’ system with two ruby laser transmitters.
Optics and Laser Technology
module’s height every 20 seconds to an
accuracy of 2 m (6 ft). A short duration
pulse of light lasting l/100 000 000th
of a second was directed in a narrow beam
against the lunar surface. A portion of
the light was reflected back to the altimeter
receiver. The time lag between the sending
of the pulse and receipt of the reflection
was measured to calculate the height above
the moon’s surface. The altimeter can
operate at heights above the moon of
between 50 and 70 nautical miles.
The altimeter system which consists of a
telescope, ruby laser transmitter, trigger
circuit assembly, and electrical power
source was situated in a wedge-shaped
enclosure in the forward section of the
service module. The entire assembly weighed
50 lbs and occupied less than 1 ft3.
RCA, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York,
NY 10020, USA.
Moisture measurement
A mobile ‘Lidar’ system to be used for
determining the amount of water
vapour in the atmosphere and observing
the dispersion of chimney plumes has
been developed by Laser Associates,
and is now being used by the Central
Electricity Research Laboratories,
Leatherhead.
The ‘Lidar’ works on the principle that
the light pulse from a laser transmitter
is scattered by particles of smoke and
drops of water. The strength of the
backscattered signal gives an indication
of the density of the scattering source.
November 1971 253