title: Design and characterization of optical heads for interferometric ballistic velocity measurements.
abstract: The design of optical fiber based heads offering high accuracy and bandwidth for use in VISAR (velocity interferometer system for any reflector) experiments measuring ballistic velocities is described. A new, expanded, model for predicting the distance-dependent collection efficiency of the heads is presented. The model is shown to agree very well with experimental results, both within and outside the "depth of field". Various optical heads are demonstrated, to suit different experimental setups and conditions. Designs offering options for high bandwidths, accurate prealignment, and large stand-off distances are discussed. Results from a typical VISAR experiment are presented, verifying that our designs yield high-quality data.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Division, Soreq NRC, Yavne 81800, Israel. garry@soreq.gov.il
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berkovic
authors.forename: Yossef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horovitz
authors.forename: Ella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moshe
authors.forename: Yair
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sadi
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shafir