Modal analysis of astronomical bolometric interferometers
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
Stafford Withington1, Michael P Hobson, Edward S Campbell
1Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3OHE, UK. stafford@mrao.cam.ac.uk
Abstract:
A procedure is described for modeling the behavior of astronomical bolometric interferometers. The scheme is based on the notion of eigenfields. The input and output eigenfields are those field distributions on the sky and at the detector to which the individual telescopes of an interferometer can couple. Eigenfields are more fundamental than eigenmodes and provide, regardless of optical configuration, an orthogonal basis for propagating the second-order statistical properties of a field from a source through the telescopes, through the beam combiners, and onto the detectors. With our scheme, it is possible to calculate the power coupled into coherent, partially coherent, and incoherent imaging arrays and to include the spatially distributed noise sources of the telescopes themselves.
Related Concept Videos
Interference and Diffraction
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
Trigonometric Substitution
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes
However, to express the relative position of point B relative to point A, an additional frame of reference, denoted as x'y', is necessary. This additional frame not only translates but also rotates relative to the fixed frame, making it instrumental in...
Doppler Effect - II
Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments

