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We have evaluated a number of spectral attenuation meter designs based on constraints related to power consumption, spectral bandwidth, sampling time, accuracy and stability . Our fmal instrument
design employs a unique optical bridge deve1oped1r Sea Tech with ONR support, a tungsten light source and a holographic grating monochromatorThe instrument design is summarized as follows: White light from a 10-Watt tungsten lamp with a 1mm2 filament is collected by a condensing lens and then spatially filtered by a 1mm diameter pinhole which is placed at the entrance port of a monochromator. The
monochromator has a 45°, 1200 lines/mm, holographic grating 37 mm in diameter with a 91 mm focal length. The grating is rotated about its vertical axis with a sine arm driven by a stepping motor, allowing
wavelength to be selected from 400 to 800 nm. At the exit port of the monochromator we use a 1mm diameter pinhole which spectrally filters the output light, resulting in a spectral bandwidth of 9. 1 nm.
This nearly monochromatic light is then measured by a unique reference detector with a 0.5mm diameter pinhole at its center, allowing light to be transmitted through the center of the detector. The transmitted light has a bandwidth of 4.5 nm. The monochromatic light is then collimated by a 50mm focal length achromatic lens and stopped down to a beam 1 cm in diameter. This light then enters the sample chamber. After passing through the sample the light is received by a 61mm focal length achromatic lens and is focused onto a signal detector with a diameter of 1.25mm. Digitized ratios ofreference detector to signal detector voltages allow transmission to be measured with an accuracy of 0.05% and a resolution of
0.01%. By monitoring temperature we were able to temperature compensate the instrument to within 0.05% transmission from 00 C to 25° C. Based on these results it is now possible to construct a spectral attenuation meter with the required sensitivity and accuracy to measure beam attenuation in water as clean as oligotrophic ocean waters.
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