The limit of resolution (or resolving power) is a measure of the ability of the objective lens to separate in the image adjacent details that are present in the object. It is the distance between two points in the object that are just resolved in the image. The resolving power of an optical system is ultimately limited by diffraction by the aperture. Thus an optical system cannot form a perfect image of a point.

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On race day, while millions of people tune in to root for their favorite driver, engineers are watching intently from a state-of-the-art control room at the Technical Center, not unlike a smaller version of a NASA command center. There, engineers and technicians watch multiple feeds and communicate with teams at the track, making real-time adjustments while analyzing data from hundreds of miles away.

The limit at which two Airy discs can be resolved into separate entities is often called the Rayleigh criterion. This is when the first diffraction minimum of the image of one source point coincides with the maximum of another.

where n is the refractive index and equal to 1 for air and α is the half angle subtended by rays entering the objective lens.

The numerical aperture of a microscope objective is a measure of its ability to resolve fine specimen detail. The value for the numerical aperture is given by,

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GM’s investment adds to the tax base, supporting local government services like public safety, parks and recreation and schools, but their expansion into the community has also provided opportunities for top talent to remain in or relocate to Cabarrus County. Over 150 employees, mostly engineers, are located at the facility in Concord. As GM’s need for engineering talent grows, they work closely with local institutions like UNC Charlotte to recruit locally.

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The total impact, however, goes far beyond the technology. GM chose to locate this new $45M facility in Concord because of a strong existing relationship with Hendrick Motorsports. Dix has observed that companies that locate here are expanding faster than they expect to.

In June of 2021, General Motors broke ground on a new Technical Center, located on the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord. Born out of a partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, the 130,000 square-foot facility was built to expand GM’s performance and racing capabilities, putting collaboration and connection at the focus of the entire facility. Advanced technologies and the opportunity for resource-sharing allow innovation to happen at a far faster pace than was once possible.

GM Operations Manager, Matthew Dix, recently welcomed Cabarrus EDC partners and community leaders to tour the facility for a behind-the-scenes look at the kind of virtual and digital engineering that drives the motorsports industry.

where 2α is the angle through which the first-order beam is diffracted. Since the two beams are just collected by the objective, i = α, thus the limit of resolution is,

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“We have undeveloped space for future expansion that we thought would take years, not months,” said Dix who is already planning for its use. The space will include dozens of seats for additional engineers, as well as an employee gym.

From the equation it can be seen that the radius of the central maximum is directly proportional to λ/d. So, the maximum is more spread out for longer wavelengths and/or smaller apertures.

For resolution to occur, at least the direct beam and the first-order diffracted beam must be collected by the objective. If the lens aperture is too small, only the direct beam is collected and the resolution is lost.

The primary minimum sets a limit to the useful magnification of the objective lens. A point source of light produced by the lens is always seen as a central spot, and second and higher order maxima, which is only avoided if the lens is of infinite diameter. Two objects separated by a distance less than θR cannot be resolved.

In fact, during the Fontana, CA, race earlier this year, drivers were unable to practice on the track due to unprecedented winter storms. However, because of this simulation and the training it provided ahead of time, it was Kyle Busch’s Chevy Camaro ZL1 that crossed the finish line first, followed by Chase Elliot, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, all of whom are Chevrolet drivers.

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θR is the angular position of the first order diffraction minimum (the first dark ring) λ is the wavelength of the incident light d is the diameter of the aperture

When light from the various points of a specimen passes through the objective and an image is created, the various points in the specimen appear as small patterns in the image. These are known as Airy discs. The phenomenon is caused by diffraction of light as it passes through the circular aperture of the objective.

At the GM Technical Center, racing is not simply a Sunday activity, it is a never-ending cycle to tweak, test, simulate, prepare, and perform. It’s the living science behind motorsports happening right in Cabarrus County every single day. And it’s only just begun.

Numerical aperture determines the resolving power of an objective, the higher the numerical aperture of the system, the better the resolution.

Because time on the racetracks is hard to come by, accurate simulation is critical and at the Technical Center, NASCAR drivers practice for upcoming races on Driver-in-the-Loop simulators sitting in real cockpits. These simulators stay booked nearly 24/7.

The wavelength of light is an important factor in the resolution of a microscope. Shorter wavelengths yield higher resolution. The greatest resolving power in optical microscopy requires near-ultraviolet light, the shortest effective visible imaging wavelength.

Airy discs consist of small, concentric light and dark circles. The smaller the Airy discs projected by an objective in forming the image, the more detail of the specimen is discernible. Objective lenses of higher numerical aperture are capable of producing smaller Airy discs, and therefore can distinguish finer detail in the specimen.