General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

Reticon

Patents

N/A

General Description

aluminum casing/ metal parts/ synthetic parts

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

26.2 cm

Width

15.0 cm

Height

26.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Astronomy

Category

Research

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

EG&G

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Massachusetts

City

Wellesley

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

British Columbia

Period

circa 1970+

Canada

The reticon was a experimental device used by Canadian astronomer Gordon A.H. Walker in the 1970s to develop more sensitive detectors for astronomical observations. He was in the Dept. of Geophysics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia and worked closely with staff (especially the tech staff during instrument development) at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria. Dr. Walker and his group at UBC were doing ground breaking research with these devices and they are (or almost) unique in Canada and rare world wide at least for astronomical use. Two or three groups were experimenting with similar technology in the US and UK. One of the major elements of Walker's research was to verify the accuracy of the systems compared to traditional techniques.

Function

A photodiode, part of an experimental system used to record images of astronomical phenomena in order to measure stellar and galactic spectra.

Technical

This device represents a major step from traditional photography based astronomical research and the associated equipment (e.g. microdensitometer (1998.0275), Cuffy Iris photometer) towards CCD based astronomical detectors. Its use enabled a large improvement in detector sensitivity and precision and made possible detection of rapid changes in astronomical spectra. The reticon was used with a spectrograph to determine the velocity shifts of spectral lines in stars and was a much more rapid method and with higher resolution. Typical best radial velocity measurements at this time (ca. 1970) were about 1 km/s but with the reticon, Dr. Walker and his collaborators achieved measurements of the order of 100 m/s. This technology with ever more improved detectors in the mid-1990s allowed astronomers to detect the first extra-solar system planet. By 2005, almost 200 have been discovered.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

none

Missing

unknown

Finish

dewar: brushed metal

Decoration

N/A