A laser-Optical-Sheet based technique for monitoring particle charge distributions

A system utilizing a coherent sheet of light obtained by a pulsed laser and appropriate optical components was developed to monitor a charged particle stream as it passes through an electric field. The deflection patterns of narrowly sized quartz particles (74×53 μm) were photographed and analyzed by a densitometer. The deflection and dispersion of a spot, representing a group of particles, can be used to determine the average charge and charge distribution in the particle stream. The results demonstrate the efficacy of this technique for determining the charge distribution of a particle stream. Such a device has the potential for monitoring particle charge in continuous airborne particulate streams.