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All-spherical catadioptric telescope design for wide-field imaging
Mehdi Bahrami1, Alexander V Goncharov
1Applied Optics Group, School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland. m.bahrami1@nuigalway.ie
Applied Optics
|October 22, 2010
Summary
A new all-spherical catadioptric telescope design offers a cost-effective alternative for wide-field imaging. This telescope provides optical performance comparable to Ritchey-Chrétien systems for seeing-limited astronomical observations.
Area of Science:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Medium-size telescopes for wide-field imaging often use Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) designs.
- These RC systems typically incorporate multilens correctors near the focal plane.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a cost-effective alternative to the RC system for seeing-limited observations.
- To present a novel all-spherical catadioptric telescope design.
Main Methods:
- Designed an f/4.5 all-spherical catadioptric system with a 1.5° field of view.
- The system comprises a 0.8 m primary mirror, a 0.4 m secondary mirror, a meniscus lens, and a three-lens field corrector.
Main Results:
- The catadioptric system demonstrates optical performance comparable to an f/4.5 RC system.
- The design is suitable for seeing-limited astronomical observations.
Conclusions:
- An all-spherical catadioptric design is a viable and cost-effective alternative to RC systems for telescopes up to 2m in aperture.
- This alternative is particularly suitable for wide-field, seeing-limited astronomical imaging.
