Abstract

Conventional methods of microphotometry measure the portion of an incident beam of light that is transmitted through a given spectral line on a photographic film or plate. This percentage transmittance is, in effect, a measure of the density of the line; for density is equal to the logarithm of the reciprocal of the transmittance. These methods are well founded and are not likely to be replaced for those densities on or near the linear portion of the H and D curve. However, as the density approaches the photographic saturation level, the methods become less reliable and eventually fail. The chief causes for this failure are (1) the diminishing efficiency of the photographic emulsion when most of the silver halide has been exposed, and (2) the lack of reliability of the microphotometer when the transmittance is below about 3%.

Indirect Method for Measuring Spectral Linewidth, with Application to N₂O*

U. P. Oppenheim and A. Goldman
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(5) 675-677 (1966)

Measurements of the Stability of Bleached Photographic Phase Holograms

D. H. McMahon and W. T. Maloney
Appl. Opt. 9(6) 1363-1368 (1970)

A Method for Obtaining Accurate Half-Intensity Widths of Spectral Lines Photographed in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

B. B. Jones
Appl. Opt. 1(3) 239-242 (1962)

Life on the edge: measuring linewidths

Michael Baum
Appl. Opt. 27(17) 3714-3760 (1988)

Spatial filtering microscope for linewidth measurements

Matt Young
Appl. Opt. 28(8) 1467-1473 (1989)