A Versatile Projector for Assisting in Crystal Structure Determinations

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Abstract
In the determination of crystal structures from x‐ray data, mathematical equations are frequently used for which there are no physical analogs available. The introduction of physical analogs is advantageous because they assign a physical significance to the mathematics and, also, because they make possible the use of apparatus which either aids or replaces the long computations. In this paper a description is given of an optical device which produces as photographic records the results of the mathematical processes known as convolutions. Since there are several kinds of convolutions, and since the device is very versatile, the particular types of convolutions for which the apparatus is adaptable are the well‐known Patterson projection and, also, the mixed projections. The illustrations that are furnished should aid in the understanding of some of the more recently developed methods of structure determination. The apparatus is constructed of materials readily available in any laboratory.