General Theory of Light Propagation and Imaging Through the Atmosphere / by T. Stewart McKechnie.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McKechnie, T. Stewart, Author.

Series:

Springer Series in Optical Sciences, 0342-4111 ; 196

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Optics.

Electrodynamics.

Physical measurements.

Measurement.

Astronomy--Observations.

Astronomy.

Astronomy—Observations.

Atmospheric science.

Physics.

Classical Electrodynamics.

Measurement Science and Instrumentation.

Astronomy, Observations and Techniques.

Atmospheric Sciences.

Mathematical Methods in Physics.

Local Subjects:

Classical Electrodynamics.

Measurement Science and Instrumentation.

Astronomy, Observations and Techniques.

Atmospheric Sciences.

Mathematical Methods in Physics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (XXIX, 624 p. 190 illus., 13 illus. in color.)

Edition:

1st ed. 2016.

Place of Publication:

Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book lays out a new, general theory of light propagation and imaging through Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. Current theory is based on the – now widely doubted – assumption of Kolmogorov turbulence. The new theory is based on a generalized atmosphere, the turbulence characteristics of which can be established, as needed, from readily measurable properties of point-object, or star, images. The pessimistic resolution predictions of Kolmogorov theory led to lax optical tolerance prescriptions for large ground-based astronomical telescopes which were widely adhered to in the 1970s and 1980s. Around 1990, however, it became clear that much better resolution was actually possible, and Kolmogorov tolerance prescriptions were promptly abandoned. Most large telescopes built before 1990 have had their optics upgraded (e.g., the UKIRT instrument) and now achieve, without adaptive optics (AO), almost an order of magnitude better resolution than before. As well as providing a more comprehensive and precise understanding of imaging through the atmosphere with large telescopes (both with and without AO), the new general theory also finds applications in the areas of laser communications and high-energy laser beam propagation.

Contents:

Introduction

Terms, Definitions and Theoretical foundations

Diffraction

Wave propagation after scattering by a thin atmospheric layer

Wave propagation over extended atmospheric paths

Properties of point-object im ages formed by telescopes

Average intensity envelopes of unresolved star images

Core and halo structure in star images formed by large telescopes

Statistical properties of stellar speckle patterns

Star image appear ance for small and large average turbulence structure sizes

Approximate intensity envelopes for star images formed by telescopes with/without AO

Telescope optical tolerances and telescope resolution

Laboratory simulation of im ages formed by large telescopes

Laser beam propagation and atmospheric path characterization.- Atmospheric isoplanatic angle: Image stabilization and AO image correction.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

3-319-18209-9

OCLC:

918563818