chromatic resolving power

chromatic resolving power

[krō′mad·ik rə′zälv·iŋ ‚pau̇·ər] (optics) The difference between two equally strong spectral lines that can barely be separated by a spectroscopic instrument, divided into the average wavelength of these two lines; for prisms and gratings Rayleigh's criteria are used, and the term is defined as the width of the emergent beam times the angular dispersion.