Apparatus for simultaneous light scattering and microscopic video observation: Application to the growth of a droplet pattern

Abstract

A simple apparatus is described which allows the simultaneous microscopic observation of a pattern and the analysis of the light scattered by it at low angles using a single video image. Applications are found any time a spatial Fourier analysis is needed in addition to a simple visualization. As an example, we report a preliminary study of the growth of ‘‘breath figures’’—a pattern formed by the condensation of vapor blown onto a cold surface.