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Changing the wave plate (Staff only!)

Normally TurPol is equipped with the /2 retarder, which provides measurements of linear polarization only. In order to measure circular & linear polarisation simultaneously, or to do circular polarimetry, the /2 plate must be replaced by the /4 plate.

To do this, you have to remove the 4 small bolts (3mm Allen key) from the upper part of the back cover of the polarimeter, disconnect the motor cable and slide out the module in which the wave plate is mounted. Note that to be able to slide the module out, you have to also remove two of the big instrument mounting bolts on that side. Take the module into the control room or electronics room to be able to work on a table.

Unscrew and remove the /2 plate from its holder and put the /4 plate instead (or vice--versa, of course). The orientation of the /4 wave plate optical axis must be such that in the starting position, defined by just actuating the micro-switch, the optical axis marked with the golden lines in the cylindrical wave plate mounting must be at 45 to the sides of the rectangular black aluminium plate supporting the unit. This is most easily done by rotating the large gear clockwise from this starting position by an amount corresponding to two full rotations of the small gear (which has a fiducial mark to be able to do this). In this position, the wave plate mark should be placed parallel to the sides of the unit, or ``vertical'' when you hold the module with the small gear downwards.

The orientation of the /2 plate should also be parallel to the sides as above, but with the big gear in the starting position defined by the micro-switch. The surface of the wave plate mount with the optical axis mark should look upwards, i.e. be visible from the side of the big gear.

Changing the wave plate should be done by NOT staff only.



next up previous contents
Next: CAMAC crate and Up: Appendices Previous: Mounting Turpol on



Lars Freyhammer
Wed Oct 27 18:02:24 ACT 1999