Refracting Telescopes

Lite

JERRY B. MARION , in Physics in the Modernistic World (Second Edition), 1981

Telescopes

Whereas a microscope serves to produce an enlarged virtual image of minor objects placed close to the objective lens, a telescope serves to magnify the angular separation of distant objects or to increase the amount of light received past the eye from a distant point of light. One of the primary functions of a telescope is to collect the low-cal from a weak source and to concentrate the bundle of rays so that the heart (or a photographic film) can register an image of the object. This is specially true in observing faint stars, the lite from which is made extremely weak because of their smashing distances.

The original inventor of the telescope is unknown, simply a crude instrument similar to a telescope was described in the latter part of the 16th century. The telescope was reinvented in Kingdom of the netherlands in 1608, and during the early part of the following year a study of the instrument reached Galileo in Italia. Because the report contained no data as to the details of construction, Galileo drew upon his knowledge of refraction and lenses to blueprint and construct his own version. Galileo's first telescope, shown schematically in Fig. 15-23, had a magnifying power of 3. Ultimately he became sufficiently accomplished at grinding lenses that he was able to increase the magnification to more than than 30.

FIGURE fifteen-23. Diagram of an early on Galilean astronomical telescope. The incident parallel rays from a star are brought toward a focus past the convex objective lens, only before they converge to a bespeak, the rays are diverged into a parallel beam by a concave lens. The internet outcome is to increase the amount of light received by the middle from the star. The star is made to appear brighter and therefore nearer.

Replica of the reflecting telescope synthetic by Newton in 1667 and demonstrated before the Royal Society. Focusing is achieved by slight adjustments of the main mirror with the pollex spiral in the base of operations.

Modern telescopes of this general type are synthetic differently in that diverging lenses are not used. A simple design is shown in Fig. 15-24, where 2 converging lenses are used. Notice that the paradigm is inverted, that is, the tip of the paradigm points in the direction opposite to that of the object. An cock image is essential for observing objects on the Earth, but it is really not necessary for astronomical observations considering there is no pregnant to "up" or "down" for a star. In lodge to produce an erect image, a third lens or a prism must exist added. (Ordinary binoculars use prisms to produce an erect image.)

FIGURE 15-24. Schematic diagram of a two-lens telescope that produces an inverted image. Simple telescopes of this general pattern are used for viewing astronomical objects. For viewing World objects, an boosted lens or a prism must exist used to produce an erect paradigm.

Telescopes that make employ of the refractive holding of lenses are called refracting telescopes or refractors. If a refractor is to have a large light-gathering power (a necessity for astronomical observations), the lenses must exist quite large. The instrument at the Yerkes Observatory (run across the photograph beneath) has an objective lens with a bore of i m. Lenses of such size are difficult to manufacture, take great weight, and are subject to cracking due to temperature changes. For these reasons, large-diameter refractors are not practical instruments, and very few are all the same in utilise for astronomical research.

Replica of the reflecting telescope constructed past Newton in 1667 and demonstrated earlier the Regal Society. Focusing is accomplished past slight adjustments of the main mirror with the thumb spiral in the base.

The ane-yard refracting telescope at the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago. This is one of the few refracting telescopes all the same in use for research purposes.

In 1667 Isaac Newton devised a new kind of telescope that depends upon the reflective properties of a curved surface. A diagram of the Newtonian reflecting telescope (or reflector) is shown in Fig. 15-25. Parallel light rays from a distant source are incident on the mirror at the base of the instrument. Because the mirror surface is curved, the rays are converged toward a focus. Earlier the focal point is reached, all the same, the rays are intercepted by a small apartment mirror that diverts the converging rays to an eyepiece external to the telescope. (The apartment mirror is sufficiently small that it does not appreciably reduce the corporeality of lite reaching the principal mirror.)

Figure 15-25. A Newtonian reflecting telescope. In order that the rays be brought to a proper focus in a reflecting telescope, the main mirror must be in the shape of a paraboloid, a surface generated by rotating a parabola effectually its axis. A spherical surface is adequate if the mirror is relatively modest and is not intended for the most precise piece of work.

Almost all telescopes now used in astronomical observing programs are reflecting telescopes. Several instruments with mirror diameters greater than 2 m are in service. The largest American reflector is the 5-m telescope on Mount Palomar. An even larger musical instrument (a six-1000 giant) is now beingness used by Soviet astronomers in the mountains of the Caucasus. All of these telescopes are equipped for photographic work and a number of different schemes, in addition to the Newtonian mirror deflector, are utilized for directing the focused axle to various positions for visual or photographic observations.

Cutting-away drawing of the v-m Mount Palomar telescope. Notice that the Newtonian viewing arrangement is not used; instead, the deflecting mirror directs the beam toward the base of the telescope and information technology emerges through a primal hole in the main mirror.

The Soviet 6-yard telescope will probably remain the largest single-mirror instrument always constructed. An economical alternative to the large, single-mirror telescope has recently been developed. In this scheme, a number of small-scale mirrors are distributed over a big area, and all of the mirrors direct calorie-free to a central focus. The mirrors are computer controlled to compensate for light fluctuations due to atmospheric disturbances. The result is that such an array of small mirrors is every bit constructive in gathering light as a very large single mirror.

Another method beingness used to overcome the difficulties associated with the passage of light through the atmosphere is to mount a telescope on an orbiting artificial satellite. A 3-g instrument on a space platform is capable of recording the light from galaxies that are 100 times fainter than those observable with the best ground-based telescopes.

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Physical OPTICS: DIFFRACTION

George B. Arfken , ... Joseph Priest , in International Edition University Physics, 1984

41.iii Diffraction and Angular Resolution

The large central elevation of the single-slit design is typical of many diffraction patterns. Furthermore, the relation θ1 = λ/D for the single slit illustrates a very full general feature of diffraction:

When waves of wavelength λ encounter an obstruction or aperture whose characteristic dimension D is large by comparison to λ, nigh of the diffracted intensity is channeled into a narrow range of bending given by

(41.21) 2 θ ii λ D

In other words, 2λ/D measures the athwart diameter of the diffraction pattern. We can infer the plausibility of the relation 2θ ≃ 2λ/D from Figure 41.13. The border of the central top of intensity is marked by the angle θ at which complete subversive interference occurs. The object or aperture is divided into halves. In order for point P to be a position of complete destructive interference, waves reaching P from corresponding positions [(A, A′), (B, B′), …] in the summit and lesser halves must be ane-one-half wavelength out of step. This condition is satisfied provided the distances from P to the top and bottom edges differ past 1 wavelength. Equally Figure 41.xiii indicates, the smallest bending θ for which the distances differ past λ is approximately λ/D. The exact value of θ for which complete destructive interference occurs depends on the shape of the object or aperture. For a slit of width D, we have seen that the angle is given by sin θ = λ/D. For a round aperture of diameter D, analysis shows that the angle is given past sin θ = ane.22λ/D. The key points are as follows: (ane) Destructive interference causes the intensity to fall to cipher at an bending given approximately by λ/D; and (2) most of the scattered intensity is channeled into the range of angle −λ/D ≲ θ ≲ +λ/D.

Figure 41.13. For θ ≃ λ/D, waves reaching P from corresponding segments (A, A′), (B, B′), … will be ½λ out of step and will interfere destructively. Waves reaching P′ too interfere destructively. The athwart separation of P and P′ is given by 2θ ≃ 2(λ/D), and defines the athwart diameter of the diffraction pattern.

An important consequence of diffraction is that the image of a point source is not a point. Instead, information technology is a diffraction design. For example, when low-cal from a star passes through the lens of a refracting telescope it is diffracted. The lens constitutes a circular aperture. Figure 41.14 shows the targetlike diffraction blueprint for a circular aperture. A circular lens produces the same blazon of design. The focusing action of the lens cannot compensate for the scattering and interference that produce the diffraction design. The intensity is greatest over the central region of the pattern, chosen the Airy disk. * The athwart radius (θ) of the Airy disk is given past sin θ = 1.22λ/D, where λ is the wavelength and D is the diameter of the lens. The image formed at the focal bespeak of the lens consists of the relatively vivid Airy deejay surrounded by much fainter concentric rings (Figure 41.15). Unless special care is taken, the prototype will appear as a round spot. That is, just the Airy deejay volition be visible. Figure 41.fifteen shows how to make up one's mind the size of the paradigm. For a lens with a focal length f, the linear diameter of the Airy disk is (with sin θ ≃ θ)

Figure 41.14. The diffraction pattern of a circular aperture. The circular area in the center is called the Blusterous disk, and marks the region of maximum intensity.

Effigy 41.fifteen. The image of a betoken source of monochromatic light, formed past a lens of diameter D, is a diffraction design The intensity pattern is a maximum at the center of the Airy disk.

(41.22) W = f .2 θ = ii.44 ( f λ D )

Instance ii

Stellar Image Size

A telescope lens 14 cm in bore has a focal length of 60 cm. The telescope is equipped with a filter that transmits over a narrow range of wavelengths centered at 530 nm. The size of a stellar image at 530 nm equals the Airy disk diameter. From Eq. 41.22 the prototype size is

W = ii.44 ( 60 14 ) 530 nm=5600nm

This image size is about 10 times the wavelength of the light.

We can see the limitations imposed on prototype-forming systems by diffraction if nosotros consider the images formed by 2 point sources. Figures 41.16a, b, c testify three situations in which light of wavelength λ from ii betoken sources of equal intensities passes through a lens of diameter D. The waves from each source are spread out into diffraction patterns with an angular radius of approximately λ/D. The angle between the two sources (Φ) every bit viewed from the lens is called their angular separation. In Figure 41.16a the angular separation of the two sources is much greater than λ/D and the two diffraction patterns practise not overlap. The two images are clearly separated, and we say that the 2 objects are resolved. In Effigy 41.16b the angular separation of the sources is smaller than λ/D and the two diffraction patterns overlap significantly. Information technology is not possible to tell whether there are 2 sources or simply ane.

Figure 41.16. The diffraction limit on angular resolution. (a) Angular separation of objects (ϕ) much larger than Δ/D; objects well resolved. (b) Angular separation of objects much smaller than λ/D; objects not resolved (their diffraction patterns overlap). (c) Angular separation of objects comparable to λ/D; objects "just" resolved

In this example, we say that the objects are not resolved. Figure 41.16c shows the "borderline" state of affairs where the angular separation is approximately equal to λ/D. The two diffraction patterns overlap slightly. It is now barely possible to infer that at that place are ii sources, and we say that the objects are only resolved.

The angular resolution of an image-forming organization is the smallest athwart separation information technology can distinguish (resolve) Rayleigh's benchmark is widely used to establish the angular resolution of a round lens. Rayleigh observed that when the athwart separation (ϕ) of the ii sources is such that

(41.23) sin ϕ = 1.22 ( λ D )

the fundamental intensity peak of one source falls on the first intensity zero of the other source. The result is a slight "dimple" in the total intensity pattern, from which we tin can infer the presence of two sources. Figures 41.17, 41.17b, c show the intensity patterns for two sources separated past angles for which sin ϕ = 0.61 (λ/D), 1.22(λ/D), and 2.44(λ/D).

Figure 41.17. Rayleigh's criterion. Overlapping intensity patterns for 2 objects whose angular separations are given by (a) sin ϕ = 0.61 (λ/D); (b) sin ϕ = 1.22(λ/D); (c) sin ϕ = 2.44(λ/D). Dotted lines indicate the intensity patterns for each of the two objects. Solid line is the sum of the two intensities, which is the full (observed) intensity. The slight dimple in the total intensity for (b) marks the limit of resolution according to Rayleigh's criterion.

Upon awarding of Rayleigh's criterion, the angular resolution of a lens of diameter D collecting waves of wavelength λ is given by

(41.24) athwart resolution = 1.22 ( λ D )

We have assumed λ/D ≪ 1 so that sin (1.22λ/D) ≃ one.22λ/D.

The smaller the angular resolution, the improve the image resolution of an musical instrument. The world's largest radio telescope, at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has a diameter of 305 m. At a wavelength of λ = 21 cm the angular resolution is 8.4 × ten−4 rad. By comparison, the angular resolution of an amateur astronomer's half dozen-in. (lens diameter) telescope viewing light-green low-cal (λ = 500 nm) is 4 × 10−6 rad. Contrary to what we might await, the apprentice's telecope is superior with respect to angular resolution. Yet, the Arecibo telescope affords several advantages. It is able to discover objects far beyond the range of the 6-in. telescope and can scan a wide range of radio wavelengths far beyond the visible range.

The human eye is another optical system that is subject to diffraction furnishings. Permit'due south determine the diffraction limit for the angular resolution of the homo center.

Instance 3

Angular Resolution of the Human Eye

The diameter of the pupil of a human heart varies from 2 mm in bright light to 5 mm in the dark. For a wavelength of 600 nm (yellow light) the angular resolution for the light-adjusted eye is

1.22 ( λ D ) = 1.22 ( 6 × 10 vii m 2 × x 3 yard ) = 4 × 10 4 rad

which is approximately 1 infinitesimal of arc (1/sixty of 1 degree).

The millimeter markings on a meter rod subtend an angle of 4 × x−4 rad at a distance of approximately 4 m. Therefore, if you view a meter rod more than 4 m away, you won't be able to resolve the private millimeter marks. Images of the private millimeter marks will overlap considering of diffraction and you will probably meet but a gray ring Try it. The athwart resolution is also limited past the spacing of the calorie-free-sensitive cells on the retina. Most people are unable to resolve the millimeter marks at distances greater than 3 m.

Other factors also impact the power of an image- forming system to resolve objects. For case, turbulence causes fluctuations in the alphabetize of refraction of the globe's atmosphere. Starlight traveling through the atmosphere is refracted many times in an irregular, fluctuating style. We meet this refraction as the "twinkle" of starlight. The direction of a star appears to u.s.a. to change very slightly from 1 moment to the next. For the astronomer, twinkling is some other factor that limits the angular resolution of a telescope. Twinkling smears images, and if two objects are close enough, their smeared images may overlap and thereby limit resolution.

Information technology should be emphasized that the diffraction limitations on angular resolution are not restricted to lenses. Any device that "collects" waves and senses the direction of their origin is subject field to the limits imposed by diffraction. Thus, the athwart resolution of reflecting telescopes and that of radio telescopes are as well subject area to diffraction limitations.

The angular resolution of a single slit, or a mirror, or a radio telescope dish is limited by the bore, D. The angular resolution can be improved by using a serial of slits, or mirrors, or dishes. Any organisation of elements that is equivalent to an array of parallel slits is chosen a diffraction grating. In the next department we volition determine the intensity design for a diffraction grating having N slits. Nosotros volition and so bear witness how a large value of N makes the grating a precision instrument for measuring wavelengths, and greatly improves its angular resolution compared with the single slit.

Questions

3.

Sound waves with a wavelength of 1 m travel through a window two m high and 1 m wide. Is the diffraction pattern of the sound broader (diffracted through larger angles) in the vertical or the horizontal direction?

4.

A whisper is composed of higher-frequency sound waves than ordinary conversational speech. Why is it more than difficult to hear someone facing away from y'all when he whispers than it is to hear him when he talks in a normal tone, fifty-fifty though the intensity levels are the aforementioned in both cases?

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Introduction

DANIEL J. SCHROEDER , in Astronomical Optics (Second Edition), 2000

ane.1 A Scrap OF HISTORY

Early on in the 1900s the want for larger light gathering power led to the pattern and construction of the 100-in Hooker telescope located on Mountain Wilson in California. This reflecting telescope and its smaller predecessors were congenital following the recognition that refracting telescopes, such as the 36-in one at Lick Observatory in California and the 40-in one at Yerkes Observatory, in Wisconsin, had reached a applied limit in size. With the 100-in telescope, it was possible to showtime systematic observations of nearby galaxies and offset to assail the problem of the structure of the universe.

Although the 100-in telescope was a giant step forward for observational astronomy, information technology was recognized by Unhurt that nonetheless larger telescopes were necessary for observations of remote galaxies. Due largely to his efforts, work began on the pattern and structure of a 200-in (v-m) telescope in the tardily 1920s. The Unhurt telescope was put into operation in the belatedly 1940s and remained the world's largest until a 6-m telescope was built in Russian federation in the mid-1970s.

The demand for more big telescopes became astute in the 1960s as the boundaries of observational astronomy were pushed outward. Plans fabricated during this decade and the following one resulted in the construction of a number of optical telescopes in the four-m class during the 1970s and 1980s in both hemispheres. These telescopes, equipped with efficient detectors, fueled an explosive growth in observational astronomy.

Big reflectors are well-suited for observations of small parts of the sky, typically a fraction of a degree in diameter, merely they are not suitable for surveys of the entire sky. A type of telescope suited for survey work was outset devised by Schmidt in the early 1930s. The first large Schmidt telescope was a i.2-m instrument roofing a field well-nigh 6° beyond, and put into functioning on Palomar Mountain in the early 1950s. Several telescopes of this type and size accept since been built in both hemispheres. The principle of the Schmidt telescope has also been adapted to cameras used in many spectrometers.

While construction of telescopes was underway during the 1970s and 1980s, astronomers were already planning for the side by side generation of big reflectors. In the quest for still greater light-gathering power, attending turned to the design of arrays of telescopes and segmented mirrors, and to new techniques for casting and figuring single mirrors with diameters in the 8-one thousand range. The fruits of these labors became credible in the late 1990s with the coming online of a significant number of telescopes in the viii- to 10-thou grade.

The assortment concept was first implemented with the completion of the Multiple-Mirror Telescope (MMT) on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, a telescope with six 1.8-m telescopes mounted in a common frame and an aperture equivalent to that of a single four.five-m telescope. Beams of the separate telescopes were directed to a common focal plane and either combined in a unmarried prototype or placed side-by-side on the slit of a spectrometer. Although the MMT concept proved workable, advances in mirror technology prompted the replacement of the divide mirrors with a single six.5-k mirror in the same telescope structure and building.

The segmented mirror approach was the pick for the Keck Ten-Meter Telescope (TMT), with 36 hexagonal segments the equivalent of a single filled aperture. This approach requires active control of the positions of the segments to maintain mirror shape and image quality. Even before the first TMT had been pointed to its first star, its twin was nether construction on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and together these two telescopes are obtaining dramatic observational results. Some other segmented mirror telescope is the Hobby-Eberly Telescope designed primarily for spectroscopy.

Although it seemed in the 1980s that multiple and segmented mirrors were the moving ridge of the future, new techniques for making big, "fast" chief mirrors and controlling their optical figure in a telescope led to the design and construction of several 8-yard telescopes. Among these are the Very Big Telescopes (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory, the Gemini telescopes, Subaru, and Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Used singly or equally components of an interferometric array (for the VLT and LBT), observations are possible that could simply be dreamed of in the 1970s.

Instrumentation used on big telescopes has also shown dramatic changes since the fourth dimension of the primeval reflectors. Noting first the development in spectrometers, minor prism instruments were replaced past larger grating instruments at both Cassegrain and coude focus positions to meet the demands for college spectral resolution. In contempo years many of these high resolution coude instruments accept, in plough, been replaced by echelle spectrometers at the Cassegrain focus. On the largest telescopes, such as the TMT and VLT, nigh large instrumentation is at the Nasmyth focus position on a platform that rotates with the telescope. Virtually all spectrographic instruments and imaging cameras now use solid-country electronic detectors of loftier quantum efficiency that, coupled with these telescopes, make possible observations of still fainter angelic objects.

Although developments of footing-based optical telescopes and instruments during the last three decades of the 20th century have been dramatic, the same can also be said of Globe-orbiting telescopes in space. Since the first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory in the late 1960s, with its telescopes of 0.iv-one thousand and smaller, the size and complexity of orbiting telescopes have increased markedly. The 2.four-m Hubble Space Telescope (HST), once its problem of spherical aberration was stock-still, has made observations not possible with footing-based telescopes. Although its light gathering power is significantly smaller than that of many ground-based telescopes, its unique capability of observing sources in spectral regions absorbed by our atmosphere and of imaging to the diffraction limit are leading the revolution in astronomy.

Considering of the high price of a telescope in space, in that location has been meaning effort to improve the quality of images of ground-based telescopes. These efforts include controlling the thermal conditions inside telescope enclosures and incorporating active and adaptive optics systems into telescopes. With these techniques it becomes possible to obtain images of virtually-diffraction-limited quality, at least over small fields and for brighter objects.

This brief excursion into the development of telescopes and instruments upwards to the nowadays and into the well-nigh hereafter is by no ways complete. It is intended only to illustrate the range of tools now available to the observational astronomer.

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Ray Eyes

Avijit Lahiri , in Basic Eyes, 2016

iii.eight.3.two The telescope objective

The objective is the virtually of import optical component of the telescope (equally it is for the microscope). To assemble as much light as possible from a distant and faint object, the objective has to have a large aperture, the latter beingness necessary for the telescope to have high resolving power (ie, the ability to form singled-out images of two pointlike objects with a small angular separation) besides. In the case of a refracting telescope, this calls for an objective lens of large diameter, the design and mounting of which poses challenging bug. A large transparent lens, gratuitous of internal inhomogeneities, is itself difficult to fabricate. Added to this, the lens is to be appropriately shaped so as to make information technology free of the aberrations, especially of chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, and blackout (the off-centrality Seidel aberrations, ie, astigmatism, curvature, and distortion are of relatively bottom importance for a telescope objective). Finally, the mounting of a large lens constitutes another formidable problem since the lens can be supported merely at its rim.

While large refracting telescopes are still in apply, the utilise of concave reflectors in telescope objectives takes care of a number of design issues. First of all, there is no chromatic aberration in reflection. What is more than, the mechanical problem of mounting the telescope is less formidable since a reflector can be supported at its rim likewise every bit at its dorsum surface. Finally, spherical aberration and coma can exist eliminated more easily in a reflector. For example, if a parabolic reflector is used, and then these aberrations are greatly reduced, with the image being produced in a small neighborhood of the focus of the parabola.

However, the fabrication of a high-quality paraboloidal reflector is too a problem of considerable magnitude, added to which there arises the problem of a long telescope tube sealed from spurious light while, at the same time, receiving all the light from the reflector.

The Cassegrain system constitutes one solution to these issues, where a spherical mirror (termed the 'primary' mirror) is used, which is much easier to shape than a paraboloidal ane, and which can be made much smaller besides without compromising with the requirement of a big focal length, past mode of the use of a secondary mirror as role of the objective assembly.

Fig. three.38 depicts schematically the optical system of a catadioptric telescope objective, where a spherical master mirror is used forth with a spherical secondary mirror and a Schmidt corrector plate. The catadioptric objective uses both cogitating and refractive components, of which the primary and secondary mirrors constitute the reflective elements in the Schmidt-Cassegrain system shown in Fig. iii.38, while the Schmidt corrector plate is the refractive chemical element. The corrector plate is thicker at the peripheral and central zones and is comparatively thin in the intermediate zone, and has its flat face up turned toward the concave primary mirror. Light enters through the corrector plate and is reflected past the primary mirror onto the convex secondary mirror, which is spherical and much smaller. The rays are then reflected onto an inclined mirror, to be finally collected by the eyepiece, these elements non existence shown in Fig. iii.38.

Fig. 3.38. The Schmidt-Cassegrain catadioptric telescope objective. Parallel rays from the distant object are admitted through the Schmidt corrector plate C and are passed on to the concave spherical mirror P (the master mirror). The rays reflected from P converge toward the convex secondary mirror S. On being reflected from South, the rays proceed toward the eyepiece assembly. The utilize of reflecting components keeps chromatic aberration at a minimum. Spherical abnormality is reduced past the use of the particularly shaped corrector plate C, which is a refracting component.

Source: Source: (Based on a figure in Telescope Eyes Tutorial at http://www.astronomyasylum.com/telescopeopticstutorial.html.)

The corrector plate compensates for the spherical aberration introduced by the primary and secondary mirrors (the latter two compensate each other to some extent), and the objective assembly is enclosed in a telescope tube of conveniently brusque length since the rays traverse the tube three times before inbound the eyepiece assembly. However, the Schmidt-Cassegrain system suffers from the presence of coma and astigmatism to a nonnegligible extent.

Some other variant of the catadioptric objective is the Maksutov-Cassegrainsystem, where the corrector plate has a meniscus shape, being much simpler to design and fabricate than the Schmidt corrector. The convex side of the meniscus faces toward the primary mirror, and the secondary mirror tin can be a silver spot deposited on this convex side, this being an added advantage of the Maksutov assembly.

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Preliminaries: Definitions and Paraxial Optics

DANIEL J. SCHROEDER , in Astronomical Eyes (Second Edition), 2000

ii.6 STOPS AND PUPILS

We now turn our attention to the of import topic of stops and pupils. Our discussion, although brief, volition cover the essential points. For a more complete discussion the reader should consult any of the intermediate-level texts listed in the bibliography at the cease of the chapter.

2.6.a DEFINITIONS AND Nuts

The aperture stop is an element of an optical system that determines the amount of calorie-free reaching the image. This stop is oftentimes the boundary of a lens or mirror, although it may be a split diaphragm. In addition to decision-making the amount of lite inbound the system, information technology too is one of the determining factors in the sizes of system aberrations. For about telescopes the primary mirror serves as the aperture stop, although in many infrared telescopes the secondary mirror is the discontinuity terminate.

The field stop is an element that determines the angular size of the object field that is imaged by the system. In most systems the boundary of the field stop is the edge of the detector, although information technology may also exist a split up diaphragm in an image aeroplane alee of the detector.

In a general optical system the image of the discontinuity stop formed by that part of the system preceding it in the optical train is called the entrance pupil . For two-mirror telescopes in which the principal mirror is the aperture cease, as well as for prime focus (unmarried mirror) and refracting telescopes, no imaging elements precede the aperture stop. In this example the archway pupil coincides with the aperture stop. For infrared telescopes the aperture stop (secondary mirror) is preceded by the primary mirror. In this case the entrance pupil is the same diameter as the master mirror, an exercise left for the reader.

The image of the aperture stop formed by that part of the system following it is called the exit educatee. The significance of the exit pupil is that rays from the boundary of the aperture stop approach the last image signal equally if coming from the boundary of the get out pupil, for all incidence angles at the discontinuity stop purlieus. If the secondary mirror is the aperture stop, and so there are no telescope optics following the discontinuity stop and the telescope exit pupil coincides with the stop.

2.vi.b PUPILS FOR TWO-MIRROR TELESCOPES

We now use these definitions to telescopes of the type shown in Fig. 2.vii. Taking the discontinuity end at the primary, at distance W = (ane − k)f 1 from the secondary, the exit student is the image of the chief formed by the secondary. Effigy ii.8 shows the leave pupil location for a Cassegrain telescope; for a Gregorian the exit pupil is located betwixt the chief and secondary mirrors.

Fig. 2.8. Location of exit pupil for Cassegrain telescope. The exit pupil is closer to the secondary than is the primary focal point. Encounter Eq. (2.six.1).

Applying Eq. (2.3.1) to the geometry in Fig. ii.8, with f 1δ defined as the altitude from the go out pupil to the telescope focal point, and converting to normalized parameters, gives

(two.6.1) δ = g ii k yard + k one = 1000 two ( one + β ) thousand 2 + β ,

where δ > 0 when the focal surface of the organisation lies to the correct of the exit pupil, every bit shown in Fig. 2.eight. Although Eq. (2.6.ane) was derived from the diagram for a Cassegrain, it also applies to a Gregorian telescope. The distance from the secondary mirror to the exit educatee, in normalized parameters, is mk − δ. From Eqs. (2.5.vii) and (2.6.1) nosotros find

(ii.6.ii) secondary go out pupil distance = yard chiliad ( 1000 one ) m + k one f one

Using Eqs. (2.3.3) and (2.2.3) nosotros find that the exit educatee diameter is

(two.6.3) D e x = D | δ / m | = f 1 | δ / thou |

Considering the centers of the aperture terminate and exit pupil are on the axis of the telescope, the so-called chief ray appears to come from the center of the get out pupil afterward reflection from the secondary. The chief ray is defined as the ray that passes through the center of the aperture cease. If the angle of incidence of the chief ray at the primary is θ, its bending with respect to the telescope axis is ψ after reflection from the secondary. The relation between these angles is easily derived from the geometry shown in Fig. 2.nine, where the focal length of a thin-lens refracting telescope equivalent to a Cassegrain type is f. From Fig. 2.ix

Fig. 2.9. Relation between incident and last chief ray angles, θ and ψ, respectively, in two-mirror telescope. Here L is the lens of equivalent refractor, EP the get out pupil, FP the focal aeroplane. Run into Eq. (two.6.4).

(2.six.iv) ψ f 1 δ = f θ = g f 1 θ ,

hence ψ/θ = chiliad/δ. Considering δ is generally of club unity, the chief ray angle at the focal surface is of lodge m larger than the incident chief ray angle.

If the secondary mirror is the aperture stop, then the go out pupil coincides with the stop. In this example δ = mk, and ψ/θ = one/g, or again of order thou considering mk is usually of order unity in size.

2.6.c EXAMPLES OF PUPILS

The importance of stops and pupils is especially evident when auxiliary optics following the telescope are used to improve overall prototype quality. In both of the examples discussed here, 1 or more than optical elements reimages the exit student of the telescope on to an optical chemical element whose main office is improvement of the image quality. Generally there are boosted optical requirements for these optical elements, but these are non relevant to our give-and-take of pupils.

The almost dramatic instance of the comeback of image quality was the "fix" of the spherical aberration (SA) present in the images produced past the Hubble Infinite Telescope (HST) when it was launched in 1990. We will discuss this aberration and the nature of the optical set up in detail in subsequent chapters; at this stage we consider only the role played by pupils in the fix.

The SA present in the HST images was attributed to a primary mirror that had been incorrectly figured. Although the mirror is of superb quality, its shape is less curved than that of the optical prescription, with the maximum difference of about 2μ at the border of the mirror. The approach adopted to recoup for this error was to place a pair of mirrors (we volition call them M1 and M2) into the converging beam near the telescope focus and to make M2 with a respective difference, but more curved rather than less. Each point on mirror M2 must be in one-to-ane correspondence with a point on the main, hence must be located at a pupil. The purpose of mirror Ml is to reimage the get out student of the telescope on to M2, that is, the get out pupil of the HST is the object for Ml with the epitome placed on M2.

Another instance showing the importance of pupils occurs in the case of adaptive optics, the compensation in realtime of the degrading effects of the Earth'due south atmosphere on starlight passing through it. (A discussion of the principles of adaptive optics follows in later chapters.) At this point nosotros simply indicate out that the calorie-free reaching the chief mirror of a ground-based telescope is distorted by the atmosphere in a random mode on a timescale of milliseconds. Although this mirror may be capable of producing a about-perfect image, to the remaining eyes in the telescope information technology is as if the lite from the primary is coming from a "rubber" mirror with everchanging shape on a small scale. The "gear up" in this case is auxiliary eyes that must reimage the telescope exit pupil on to a flexible mirror, sense and mensurate the distortion in the incoming lite, and transmit the distortion to the flexible mirror in a reversed class to effect compensation.

These two examples are really quite similar. In both cases the exit pupil is reimaged on to a mirror that compensates for a distortion preceding it in the optical train. The major departure is that the correction is static in one instance and dynamic in the other.

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780126298109500037

First Lite and Reionization: Theoretical Written report and Experimental Detection of First Luminous Sources in the Universe

James Bock , ... Toyoki Watabe , in New Astronomy Reviews, 2006

The spectrometer is a 7.3   cm refracting telescope with re-imaging eyes. A prism inserted in the collimated beam produces low-resolution spectra (R    20, λ  =   0.8–ii.0   μm). We use a 2562 HgCdTe array with a pixel size of 40   μm, producing 1′   ×   1′ pixels and total field of view of four°. Four slits located at the field terminate produce 1′   ×   iv° strips on the sky, which the prism disperses into separate spectra on the assortment. As a event, 256 spectra are available for each slit, and a total of 1024 spectra are obtained.

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/commodity/pii/S1387647305001752