Simultaneous framing and streak system incorporates two high performance imaging systems, the Sim-8 ultra fast framing camera from Specialised Imaging and the SC Optoscope streak camera from Optronis
Recording simultaneous ultra fast two-dimensional and time-resolved images is of significant interest to scientists in a growing number of fields of study including detonics and electrical discharge research.
Traditionally such measurements have been accomplished by the use of two independent imaging systems looking at the event at slightly different angles of view or through external imaging beam splitting optical configurations that can limit light collecting efficiency.
More recently cameras with built in imaging beam splitters allowed for streak tubes and their electronics to be fitted into the same camera body as the framing electronics.
These systems limited the versatility, primarily of the streak functions, as the designs necessitated that they used small streak tubes with small photocathodes and output screens and had closed fixed relay optics between the objective lens and the slit input to the streak tube.
Incorporating a supplementary optical port, that uses a beamsplitter to deliver 50% of the primary image to an image plane, the Sim-8 framing camera allows secondary instruments such as streak cameras, high speed video or time resolved spectrometers to share the same optical axis as the framing channels.
Using this innovative supplementary optical port facility the Sim-8 was integrated with an Optronis SC Optoscope streak camera to give a true no-compromise simultaneous framing and streak camera system.
Benefiting from the Sim-8 f2.8 imaging beamsplitting optics the new simultaneous framing and streak imaging system is able to deliver a distortion-free image of the primary image to eight separate output ports where ICCDs are used to capture eight individual frames of the event at framing rates up to two billion fps and exposures as short as 500picoseconds.
Using the SC Optoscope streak camera fitted with the Slow Streak electronics unit the new simultaneous framing and streak imaging system is able to give streak speeds from 330ps/mm to 5ms/mm.
An applications report describing the use and advantages of the simultaneous framing and streak camera system in short arc discharge studies is available on request from Specialised Imaging.
