Abstract: A granular body, from which an article having a nonuniform refractive index may be formed, has grains of two substances which have different refractive indicies in a geometric distribution in the granular body corresponding to the geometric distribution of the substances required for the nonuniform refractive index of the article and a way of shape-stabilizing the granular body. A method of making the granular body comprises controllably feeding the grains into the geometric distribution in the granular body and shape-stabilizing it. Preferably the granular body is compressed into a porous compact which holds itself together and is treated with a gas to achieve desired optic properties in the article.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the axial building up, in a vertical arrangement, of a hollow cylindrical soot body having no internal support and consisting substantially of silicon dioxide by means of at least one flame hydrolysis build-up burner serving for the soot production. In this method the soot is deposited at the beginning of the build-up onto an auxiliary body, and during the build-up the build-up burner and the growing soot body are rotated relative to one another, and the burner is at the same time held at an unvarying distance from the growing end of the hollow cylinder and centrally above the predetermined cross section of the upwardly growing end of the cylinder wall. The penetration of soot into the interior of the cylinder is prevented by means of a directed gas stream.

Abstract: Flat, transparent slabs of vitreous silica of optical quality are produced by melting granular starting material in a vacuum by means of an electrical heating system. The starting material is melted while sustaining a heat flow from the top to the bottom of the crucible. The bottom of the crucible is made permeable to gases. The heat isolation power of the crucible wall increases from the bottom to the top of the crucible.

Abstract: The lightweight mirror has a special core construction. The core consists of flat and/or tubular pieces which are joined together by means of a sintering composition. The sintering composition has open pores. In the production of the core, the sintering composition is poured into interstices between pairs of adjacent flat and/or tubular pieces and heated to the sintering temperature in a nonoxidizing atmosphere together with the flat and/or tubular pieces. A layer of sintering composition can be provided on the faces of the front and/or back plate of the lightweight mirror which confront the core. Stiffening rods can be embedded in the sintering composition.

Abstract: A light-weight mirror for astronomical purposes is disclosed. The mirror consists of a mirror plate, a back plate and a supporting framework disposed between them and consisting of a plurality of rows of tubes. The rows of tubes are staggered one from the other. Each tube in a row has a line or strip of contact with two adjacently disposed tubes of the next row. The tubes are welded together along the contact line or strip. The thickness of the tube wall is reduced in the area of the contact line or strip.

Abstract: In an optical fiber having a core whose material consists essentially of vitreous silica, said core having a jacket of plastic which is optically effective at least on a length of 10 m reckoned from the light input end of the fiber and which has a refractive index n.sub.M which is smaller than that of the core, the improvement wherein the core has an outer layer whose refractive index n.sub.ext is smaller than the refractive index n.sub.K of the remaining inner core portion which is constant and greater than the refractive index n.sub.M of the jacket, and n.sub.ext lies in the range from n.sub.K -(n.sub.K -n.sub.M). (0.25 to 0.8) and whose thickness amounts to between 0.8 .mu.m and 8 .mu.m.

Abstract: Flat, transparent slabs of vitreous silica of optical quality are produced by melting granular starting material in a vacuum by means of an electrical heating system. The starting material is melted while sustaining a heat flow from the top to the bottom of the crucible. The bottom of the crucible is made permeable to gases. The heat isolation power of the crucible wall increases from the bottom to the top of the crucible.

Abstract: Melting burner of vitreous silica for the production of massive vitreous silica by the melting of silicon dioxide particles. Propulsion jets fed with oxygen are surrounded by a plurality of oxygen-fed heating jets forming a ring. Oxygen flows around the propulsion jets and the heating jets. The front ends of the propulsion jets, which are overlapped by the front ends of the heating jets, are inclined towards the axis of the melting burner.

Abstract: A semiproduct for use in the manufacture of light conducting fibers comprising a core of synthetic quartz glass having a thickness of 6 to 400 mm, the quartz glass containing less than 10 ppm hydroxyl ions and having, in the near infrared spectral range, an optical loss totaling less than 4 dB/km, measured in the mass, the core being fused with a jacket having a wall thickness of 2 to 20 mm and consisting essentially of synthetic quartz glass containing more than 4,000 ppm of fluorine, the jacket having a length of at least 200 mm; a method of producing the same and light conducting fibers derived therefrom.

Abstract: A semiproduct for use in the manufacture of light conducting fibers comprising a core of synthetic quartz glass having a thickness of 6 to 400 mm, the quartz glass containing less than 10 ppm hydroxyl ions and having, in the near infrared spectral range, an optical loss totaling less than 4 dB/km, measured in the mass, the core being fused with a jacket having a wall thickness of 2 to 20 mm and consisting essentially of synthetic quartz glass containing more than 4,000 ppm of fluorine, the jacket having a length of at least 200 mm; a method of producing the same and light conducting fibers derived therefrom.

Abstract: An improvement in a method for producing a synthetic hydroxyl ion-free quartz glass wherein a hydrogen free silicon compound is heated in a hydrogen-free gas stream while the gas stream is passed through an induction coupled plasma burner, the gas stream containing elemental and/or bound oxygen and the oxidation product is deposited on a refractory support as a vitreous mass, the improvement lying in including in the gas stream a gaseous hydrogen-free, thermally decomposable compound which yields fluorine in an amount of at least 500 gms. per kilogram of silica to be produced; an apparatus for producing a synthetic OH ion-free quartz glass comprising an induction coupled plasma burner which burner has disposed thereabout 3 concentric quartz glass tubes disposed in stepped configuration of which the outermost tube is the longest and the innermost tube is the shortest.

Abstract: Quartz glass element, such as a diffusion tube useful in the production of semiconductor elements, capable of forming an outer layer of uniformly fine crystalline silica such as cristobalite or tridymite when heated to a temperature at which such crystalline silica forms containing crystallization promoting nuclei having a rate of diffusion in quartz glass less than that of sodium at elevated temperatures. Such nuclei are preferably present in the outer half of the element wall. When the quartz glass element is exposed to elevated temperatures, the nuclei promotes the formation of the outer layer of uniformly fine crystalline silica which imparts thermal dimensional stability for extended periods of use at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for preparing a foreproduct useful in the production of an optical self-focusing lightconductor in which the index of refraction of the lightconductor diminishes with increasing distance from the conductor axis such that, when plotted against the conductor diameter, the refractive index curve is parabolic and the apex of the parabola lies over the center of the conductor diameter wherein a plurality of layers of doped silica are deposited on a cylindrical support, the layers being formed of a mixture of a vaporous silicon compound and a vaporous doping agent at elevated temperature. The invention involves depositing at least one layer of undoped silica between layers of doped silica and following each deposition of each doped or undoped silica layer by heating step in which the material is heated to a temperature of at least 900.degree. C to vitrify the same. Each layer is deposited in a thickness ranging from 0.1 to 20 .mu.m.

Abstract: Quartz glass element, such as a diffusion tube useful in the production of semiconductor elements, capable of forming an outer layer of uniformly fine crystalline silica such as cristobalite or tridymite when heated to a temperature at which such crystalline silica forms containing crystallization promoting nuclei having a rate of diffusion in quartz glass less than that of sodium at elevated temperatures. Such nuclei are present in the outer half of the element wall and the maximum concentration of such nuclei is at the surface of the element and then diminishes inwardly. When the quartz glass element is exposed to elevated temperatures, the nuclei promotes the formation of the outer layer of uniformly fine crystalline silica which imparts thermal dimensional stability for extended periods of use at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: An improvement in a method for producing a synthetic hydroxyl ion-free quartz glass wherein a hydrogen free silicon compound is heated in a hydrogen-free gas stream while the gas stream is passed through an induction coupled plasma burner, the gas stream containing elemental and/or bound oxygen and the oxidation product is deposited on a refractory support as a vitreous mass, the improvement lying in including in the gas stream a gaseous hydrogen-free, thermally decomposable compound which yields fluorine in an amount of at least 500 gms. per kilogram of silica to be produced; an apparatus for producing a synthetic OH ion-free quartz glass comprising an induction coupled plasma burner which burner has disposed thereabout 3 concentric quartz glass tubes disposed in stepped configuration of which the outermost tube is the longest and the innermost tube is the shortest.