collimated
Rays made parallel
Collimated describes light or other radiation whose rays travel parallel to each other rather than spreading out.
A laser beam is collimated; a flashlight beam is not.
The term appears in optics, astronomy, and physics: The telescope uses a collimated beam to minimize distortion.
Collimating lenses or mirrors adjust scattered light into parallel rays.
Concentrated light device
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- raysLines from a source
- photonsDiscrete packets of radiance
- searchlightFocused lamp for distance
projection · flashlight · headlamp · spotlight · infrared · ultraviolet · monochromatic · intensity
Light-focusing curved glass
- telescopeInstrument magnifying faraway objects
- microscopeInstrument for viewing minute objects
- apertureAdjustable optical inlet
- mirrorReflective viewing surface
parabolic · eyepiece · spectroscope · prism · diffraction · refraction · filter · slit
Correct relative positioning
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- measurementDetermining size or amount
- instrumentationDesign of measuring devices
adjustment · tolerance · engineering · standardization · exactness · stability · control · targeting
Negative charges in atoms
- neutronsUncharged subatomic particles
- ionsAtoms bearing charge
- protonsPositive nuclear particles
- acceleratorSpeed control mechanism
synchrotron · radiation · bombardment · scattering · flux · emission · trajectory · momentum
laser
Concentrated light device
searchlight · projection · flashlight · headlamp · spotlight · infrared · ultraviolet · monochromatic · intensity · wavefront
lens
Light-focusing curved glass
- telescopeInstrument magnifying faraway objects
- microscopeInstrument for viewing minute objects
- apertureAdjustable optical inlet
mirror · parabolic · eyepiece · spectroscope · prism · diffraction · refraction · filter · slit · grating
alignment
Correct relative positioning
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- measurementDetermining size or amount
instrumentation · adjustment · tolerance · engineering · standardization · exactness · stability · control · targeting · guidance
electrons
Negative charges in atoms
accelerator · synchrotron · radiation · bombardment · scattering · flux · emission · trajectory · momentum · velocity
collimateddivergent
Deviating from the norm
convergent · defocused · unfocused · scattered · dispersed
collimatedscattered
Spread irregularly about
dispersed · diffuse · spread · diffracted · incoherent