Diaphragm

Description

In an optical system, a diaphragm is a fixed or variable size aperture used to restrict the amount of light passing through an opening. Diaphragms can minimize stray light that affects the quality of the image.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Scheidewand (Deut.); diaphragme (Fr.);

Authority

• ASTM, Standard Terminology of Microscopy, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section 14, General Methods and Instrumentation, ASTM, E175, 75-78, May 1982

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998