Polarimetric calibration of large-aperture telescopes. II. Subaperture method

Area of Science:

• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate polarimetric calibration is crucial for astronomical observations.
• Existing methods for large telescopes can be complex and time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a new, highly accurate method for absolute polarimetric calibration of large telescopes.
• To detail the calibration procedure and assess its performance through simulations.

Main Methods:

• Calibration of a small subaperture of the telescope.
• Extending the subaperture calibration to the full system using astronomical source observations.
• Detailed description of the calibration procedure and numerical simulations.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrates high accuracy in absolute polarimetric calibration.
• Numerical simulations confirm the robustness and accuracy of the technique.
• A detailed comparison of advantages and disadvantages against alternative methods is provided.

Conclusions:

• The new subaperture-based method offers a highly accurate and robust approach to polarimetric calibration for large telescopes.
• This technique provides a valuable alternative for astronomical instrument calibration.