Line integration and spatial resolution in optical imaging of plasmas

摘要

Optical emission spectroscopy of plasmas is a commonly used line-integrated method. In an attempt to enhance the spatial resolution along the line of sight, lenses are often used. To judge the benefit of this measure, a detection function is derived, which describes the amount of light detected from different positions along the optical axis of the lens-detector-system. Although certain points within the plasma are more sharply imaged by the lens system than others, the overall detection function is found to be almost perfectly flat, i.e. the lens does not yield any spatial resolution.