Static Multislit Spectrometry and Its Application to the Panoramic Display of Infrared Spectra*

The static multislit principle is examined, and some ancillary number theoretical concepts are exposed briefly. A discussion is also presented of the aberrations which limit the available field area in various spectroscopic systems.A description is given of an apparatus embodying the static multislit principle and designed to give a cathode-ray panoramic display of short segments of the infrared spectrum in the NaCl and KBr prism range.The rate at which information about infrared spectra can be obtained in this manner is illustrated by a photograph of the CO2 spectrum which includes both the 14μ and 15μ absorption bands, and which was obtained in 100 milliseconds.