A dual plate thermoplastic recording device for holographic interferometry

The development of a dual plate holographic interferometer using thermoplastic recording devices is described. The operational characteristics of the thermoplastic devices are investigated and optimized for fringe contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. The dual plate device was demonstrated in a transonic wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. The interferograms derived from the thermoplastic device are compared with those derived from conventional photographic emulsions. The fringe contrast achieved with the optimized thermoplastic device is equivalent to the contrast achieved with conventional techniques.