Coherent Array Telescopes As A Fifteen Meter Optical Telescope Equivalent

G. J. Odgers

doi:10.1117/12.933547

4 November 1982 Coherent Array Telescopes As A Fifteen Meter Optical Telescope Equivalent

G. J. Odgers

Proceedings Volume 0332, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes I; (1982) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.933547
Event: 1982 Astronomy Conferences, 1982, Tucson, United States

Abstract

There are several possibilities for an optical telescope design to have light gathering power equivalent to that of a 15 metre diameter monolithic mirror telescope. These include a segmented mirror telescope, using as many as ninety hexagonal mirrors; a multi-mirror telescope with six mirrors of over 6 metres diameter; or an array of twenty-five 3 metre telescopes with a common focus. It is the purpose of this paper to show the advantages of an array telescope, these being in summary that: 1) the individual telescopes, using thin meniscus mirrors of short focal length are certainly quite practicable and of low cost; 2) the array is flexible and can be added to without difficulty; 3) the array can be coherent over path lengths of a least 70 metres with existing technology and can have a finite field of at least 5 minutes of arc with good definition; 4) very high resolution interferometry will be possible with such an array, equivalent optically to the VLA in radio wavelengths, as well as the use for photometry, polarimetry, spectroscopy and direct photography or finite field imaging with solid-state detectors.

Citation Download Citation

G. J. Odgers "Coherent Array Telescopes As A Fifteen Meter Optical Telescope Equivalent", Proc. SPIE 0332, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes I, (4 November 1982); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.933547

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available