6,181 terms
Photonics Dictionary
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CCDSCenter for Commercial Development of Space
CCIRComité Consultatif International des Radiocommunications
CCITTComité Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique
CCPcomputer-controlled polisher
CCTcorrelated color temperature
CCTVclosed-circuit television
CCWcounterclockwise
CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory)An adaptation by Philips and Sony of their audio compact disc technology for optical disc data storage and retrieval. Current capacity of a disc is 0.5 to 0.6 gigabytes of information.
CD/Icompact disc/interactive
CDAcesium dideuterium arsenate
CDRHCenter for Devices and Radiological Health
CDScinema digital sound; conjugate direction search; correlated double sampling
CEIcomputer extended instruction
cell1. A single unit in a device for changing radiant energy to electrical energy or for controlling current flow in a circuit. 2. A single unit in a device whose resistance varies with radiant energy....
cell adhesionCell adhesion refers to the process by which cells interact and attach to neighboring cells or to the extracellular matrix (ECM), a network of proteins and other molecules surrounding cells. This...
cell migrationCell migration refers to the process by which cells move from one location to another within tissues or across biological barriers. This fundamental biological process is essential during various...
Celor lens -> Dogmar/Aviar lensA general-purpose lens, also known as the Celor lens, used widely in photography and commercial processing; it has the form of a triplet with a split flint element.
cementing surfaceThe surface of an element of a compound lens that will produce the cemented interface. The curves of this interface are called inside curves. To facilitate cementing, the two inside curves should...
centiIn the SI system, prefix meaning one hundredth, 10-2.
central obstructionIn a reflecting telescope, the obstruction of the primary mirror by a secondary mirror which blocks a small amount of the light reflected by the primary mirror and introduces additional diffraction.
central processing unitThe computer module whose circuitry interprets instructions and guides the actions of the peripherals. Also known as the mainframe.
centrationCentration is the precise alignment of the optical center of a lens or optical element with its mechanical center or the axis of the mounting assembly. It is crucial for ensuring that the optical...
centrifugeA rotating chamber that can be spun at different speeds to generate great radial forces used to simulate different gravity loads.
centrifuge microscopeA microscope that can be used to observe and magnify microscope specimens while they are being centrifuged. The objective rotates near the periphery of the centrifuge head, and the ocular is...
centroid -> image centroidOften referred to as the geometric center of a given image or image plane, the centroid of an image is a fixed point located at the intersection of all of the hyperplanes of symmetry within that...
Cerenkov radiationThe radiation produced when a charged particle traverses a medium that has a refractive index considerably greater than unity. The moving particle has a velocity that exceeds the velocity of light in...
cerium oxideA polishing material that has a quicker polishing action than rouge (ferric oxide) and that is cleaner to handle.
cesium 134An isotope of cesium that emits negative beta particles and has a half-life of 2.19 years; its applications include photoelectric cells and developmental ion propulsion systems.
cesium chlorideColorless crystals used in photoelectric cells and for photosensitive material in cathodes.
cesium oxide cellA photoemissive detector sensitive to wavelengths up to 1 µm. It has one sharp maximum of sensitivity at 350 nm and a broad maximum at 800 nm.
cesium phototubeA phototube having a cesium-coated cathode that has its greatest sensitivity in the infrared region.
cesium-antimonide photocathodeA photocathode that exhibits maximum sensitivity in the blue and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. The sensitivity is obtained by the exposure of a thin layer of antimony to cesium vapor at an...
CFMcubic foot per minute
cgcentigram; center of gravity
CGAcolor graphics adapter; Compressed Gas Association
CGCcolor graphics converter
CGHcomputer-generated hologram
CGHOEcomputer-generated holographic optical element
CGHScomputer-generated holographic scanner
CGIComputer Graphics Interface
CGMcomputer graphics metafile
cgscentimeter-gram-second
CGVHcomputer-generated volume hologram
chalcogenideChalcogenide refers to a class of compounds containing elements from group 16 of the periodic table, which includes sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te). These elements are known as...
channel electron multiplierA photoelectric detector consisting of a glass tube internally coated with a low conductance material. Voltage applied along the tube causes photoemission from the photocathode at the end of the tube...
charge packet -> packetThe finite amount of electrical charge generated in response to incident radiation and transferred from one storage element to the next in a charge-coupled device. Each packet corresponds to a pixel...
charge trappingIn a charge-coupled device, the disappearance of some of the accumulated charge into the silicon during readout.
charge-coupled deviceA charge-coupled device (CCD) is a type of electronic image sensor used in various imaging devices, including digital cameras, camcorders, and scientific instruments. It consists of an integrated...
charge-injection deviceA charge-injection device (CID) refers to a class of devices that manipulate and detect electrical charge within a semiconductor material. Charge-coupled devices are a specific implementation of this...
charge-transfer efficiencyIn a charge-coupled device, the percentage of each charge packet that is carried over to the next stage of the transport shift register.
Photonics Dictionary