Dispersive Power of a Grating

The rate of change of the angle of diffraction with the change in the wave length. For a range of angle of diffraction to +d corresponding to the wavelength range + d
d = dispersive power of grating d (a + b ) sin = n ( a + b ) grating element

Differentiating w.r.t. and gives

d (a + b ) cos = n d

d Dispersive power = d d n nN = = d (a + b ) cos cos 1 N = number of lines per cm = a+ b

For small values of angle of diffraction , cos cos is constant and can be taken as unity. Then the influence of the factor cos cos can be neglected. The angular dispersion ( to +d ) of any two spectral lines ( to +d ) for a given order d d (Normal spectrum)

For the two spectral lines of wave lengths and +d , if the linear spacing is dx, dx, in the focal plane of Telescope objective (screen).

dx sin d = f For small , sin dx d = f dx = f d

Linear dx d dx

dispersion

d fn N = f = d cos fn N .d = cos

Rayleighs Criterion
Beams from a point source when pass through the objective of a telescope, which acts as a circular aperture gives a diffraction pattern. Bright disc surrounded by alternate dark and bright rings (Airys disc). For two closely lying point objects, two different diffraction patterns are produced These patterns overlap on each other.

Rayleigh-resolving power of the objective lensTwo images of the point objects lying close to each other may be regarded as separated if the central maximum of one falls on the first minimum of the other. The central bright image of one falls on the first minimum of the other - the two images are just resolved. The distance between the centers of the patterns shall be equal to the radius of the central disc. This is the Rayleigh criterion for resolution or Rayleighs limit for resolution.

Rayleigh-resolving power of the objective lens (contd.)-

Two separate images lines well resolved

Two images overlap lines not resolvable

Two images just resolved

Resolving Power of a Diffraction GratingGratingratio of the wavelength and the least difference d in wavelength between the two lines in the spectrum such that they can just be resolved from each other. and + d- wave lengths of the two lines to be resolved from each other using diffraction grating.

 Resolving power R = d

Expression for Resolving Power

XY is the grating surface and MN is the field of view of the telescope P1 is the nth primary maximum of spectral line of wave length at an angle of diffraction n. P2 is the nth primary maximum of a second spectral line of wavelength + d at a diffracting angle of n + d P1 and P2 are the spectral lines in nth order. The two spectral lines according to Rayleighs criterion will appear just resolved if the position P2 also corresponds to the first minimum of P1.

Using Rayleigh criterionTwo closely lying objects distinguished form each if the principal maximum of one coincides with the first minimum of the other. For the nth order of principal maximum of wavelength ,

(a + b) sinn = n (a + b) Grating element

n Angle of diffraction The direction of the nth primary maximum for wave length + d is

(a+b) sin(n +d) = n( + d )

(1)

These two lines will just appear resolved if the angle of diffraction n + d also corresponds to the direction of the first secondary minimum after nth primary maximum at P1. (corresponding to )

This is possible if the extra path difference introduced is where N is the total number of lines on the grating surface. N

The first minimum after the nth principal maximum occurs at an angle n + d (1st order secondary minimum) The change in the path difference in going form one slit to the other is

N
If the change in path difference between the waves from the upper most slit to that from the lowermost slit is

(a + b)sin (n + d )= n + N
From (1) and (2). n( + d ) = n + N n d = N = nN d

( 2)

 = R = nN d
R is the resolving power of a grating Resolving power is large if number of lines on the grating N is large or if the order of diffraction n is higher

Resolving power of Telescope

Degree by which the two distant objects closely lying to each other are resolved using angular separation and not the linear separation. Limit of resolution of a telescope ( ( ) Minimum angle subtended by two distant objects so that their images produced by the objective of the telescope are just seen as separate from each other.

1 Resolving power - Reciprocal of the limit of resolution R =

Resolving power of Telescope (contd.)

Let a be the diameter of the objective of the telescope Consider the rays of light from two neighboring points of a distant object The image of each point is a diffraction pattern Let P1 & P2 be the positions of the central maxima of two images.

According to Rayleigh, the two images are said to be resolved if the position of the central maximum of the second image coincides with the first minimum of the first image.(or vice-versa) For, the secondary waves traveling in the direction AP1 and BP1 the path difference, = zero reinforce with each other at P1 leading to a maximum Similarly, all the secondary waves from the corresponding points between A and B will have path difference = zero P1 correspond to the position of the central maximum of the first image. The secondary waves traveling in the directions AP2 and BP2 will meet at point P2 on the screen. Let the angle P2AP1 be d.

The path difference between the secondary waves traveling in the directions BP2 and AP2 , = BC From the ABC BC = AB sin = AB d = a. d P2 corresponds to the first minimum of the first image if a. d = (n = 1) But, P2 is also the position of the central maximum of the second image Therefore, the Rayleigh condition for resolution is satisfied if a. d =

d = a
The whole of the aperture AB can be assumed to be made up of two halves AO and OB. The path difference between the secondary waves from the corresponding points in the two halves will be
2

All the secondary waves interfere with each other destructively P2 will be the first minimum of the first image

The equation d = holds good for rectangular apertures also. a

But for circular apertures, according to Airy

1.22 d = a
where is the wavelength of light and a is the aperture of the telescope. d refers to the limit of resolution of the telescope The reciprocal of d measures the resolving power of the telescope 1 a

1.22

d is also the angle subtended by the two distant objects at the objective of the telescope. The resolving power of a telescope can be defined as the reciprocal of the angular separation d of the two distant object points , so that their images appear to be just resolved according to Rayleigh's criterion A telescope with a large diameter of the objective has higher resolving power. If f is the focal length of the telescope objective, then

r 1.22 d = = f a 1.22 f r= a
where r is the radius of the central bright image.

The diameter of the 1st dark ring = the diameter of the central image. The central bright disc is the Airys disc. Therefore, if focal length of the objective f is small and the wavelength is small, and a the aperture is large the radius of the central bright disc is small diffraction pattern appears sharper angular separation between the just resolvable point objects will be smaller resolving power of the telescope will be higher