Phasing of a multi-aperture telescope on a nearby planet

TYPEStudent Seminar
Speaker:Pavel Yatvetsky
Affiliation:Technion
Date:14.02.2016
Time:16:00 - 17:00
Location:Lidow Asher Peres (502)
Abstract:The angular resolution of classical reflecting telescopes is limited by our ability to construct large mirrors. The angular resolution of space telescopes is even more restricted since weight and size are major concerns to a space mission feasibility. These restrictions may be overcome by using a segmented mirror as the primary reflecting telescope mirror.
The major obstacle for segmented mirror telescopes is the alignment process that must be precise up to a fraction of their wavelength. Such precision is unachievable purely mechanically, therefore additional hardware is required; using a distant bright star for calibration. I'll show experimental results of a calibration method based on the simulated annealing algorithm, that uses no additional hardware and may employ a nearby planet for calibration.