Basic Optics For The Astronomical Sciences
by James B. Breckinridge /
2012 / English / PDF
18.9 MB Download
This text was written to provide students of astronomy and engineers an understanding of optical sciencethe study of the generation, propagation, control, and measurement of optical radiationas it applies to telescopes and instruments for astronomical research in the areas of astrophysics, astrometry, exoplanet characterization, and planetary science. The book provides an overview of the elements of optical design and physical optics within the framework of the needs of the astronomical community. Features of this text include: an historical perspective on the development of telescopes and their impact on our understanding of the universe a review of the optical measurements that astronomers record, and identification of the attributes for ground and space observations presentation of the fundamentals of optics, such as image location and size, geometrical image quality, image brightness, scalar diffraction and image formation, interference of light, and radiometry discussion of the role of partial coherence in image formation and factors that affect image quality, as well as the role of optical metrology and wavefront sensing and control in astronomical telescopes presentation of the fundamentals of optics, such as image location and size, geometrical image quality, image brightness, scalar diffraction and image formation, interference of light, and radiometry investigations of segmented telescopes and their applications and performance metrics, sparse-aperture telescopes, and the optical challenges of designing and building telescopes or instruments for detecting and characterizing exoplanets
