Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Janssen Pharmaceutica Nv

Michael P Winters

Zhihua Sui

Allen B Reitz

Dennis J Hlasta

Christopher A Teleha

Peter J Martin

Edward Charles Lawson

John L Hall

Yifang Huang

Ronald K Russell

Kimberly White

Brett A Tounge

Shyamali Ghosh

Michael H Parker

Eric D Strobel

Shawn T Branum

Carsten Schubert

Fu-An Kang

Nagy E Fawzy

Mark L Eickhoff

Michael Reuman

A highly accurate in-situ determination of the refractivity of an ambient atmosphere is disclosed, which determination is utilizable to enhance the accuracy of a quantity measurement. The system includes use of a refractometer exposed to an ambient atmosphere and having light directed thereto to form an optical interference fringe pattern having a dependence upon the refractivity of the ambient atmosphere. The fringe pattern is measured as a function of angle either by sequentially scanning a collimated input beam in angle while collecting and detecting the transmitted light, or by imaging (onto a multi-element detector) the angular exit space of the interferometer illuminated with a diverging input beam. The electrical output of the detector is processed to provide an output indicative of the index of refraction of the ambient atmosphere. The determined index of refraction is utilizable to enhance the accuracy of a quantity measurement, such as, for example, the distance measurement provided by a Fabry-Perot or displacement-measuring Michelson interferometer.

Highly accurate in-situ determination of the refractivity of an ambient

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Michael P Winters