月球探测与射电天文用50米口径射电望远镜的相位补偿

50m口径双镜面望远镜不可避免地存在着因重力、风力负荷等环境因素导致的镜面形变, 使得镜面口径场分布恶化。经数学分析,将与镜面变形相关的约束归结为根据仰角变化的正弦分量和余弦分量,相应地使用戈里高利型望远镜,引入与约束相匹配的实时相位补偿校正系统。在波长为5cm,仰角为5时,使得望远镜的效率达到仰角90时的90%。     

A technique for microwave ranging and remote phase synchronization

A very precise electrical-distance measurement system that is also capable of supplying a phase-synchronous signal to a remote location is required for a new type of radio telescope, the large adaptive reflector (LAR). The system is based on a round-trip phase synchronization method, and is designed to work over a free-space path of length up to 1 km, the focal distance of the telescope. The electrical length of this path is to be measured with an accuracy of 70 μm and a phase-stable signal is to be provided at the remote end as the basis for a local-oscillator signal of stability equivalent to 5° at 22 GHz. Phase synchronization and distance measurement are accomplished with the same microwave ranging circuit. The distance measurement is derived from phase comparison of high-frequency signals, including a novel use of the Chinese Remainder Theorem (CRT) to resolve the unavoidable wavelength ambiguity. The design of the system is described, and limitations imposed by phase-measurement and frequency-setting accuracy are explored. Errors due to atmospheric dispersion are negligible under most circumstances. Accurate phase synchronization has been demonstrated over a free-space path of ~300 m. The complete system has been simulated under noisy conditions, and its ability to meet the specifications demonstrated     

A Holographic Surface Measurement of the Texas 4.9-m Antenna at 86 GHz

An instrument has been built which allows the electromagnetic measurement of the surface accuracy of a large millimeter-wavelength antenna. The University of Texas 4.9-m radio telescope has been measured with this technique at 86.1 GHz to an accuracy of 4 ?m at the surface. Our technique is an interferometric one which is fast, accurate, and able to measure the whole antenna surface at once. While the technique is illustrated by its use on a large antenna, it could be used in a near-field measurement of a smaller antenna. Several antenna surface maps are presented. A comparison of run-to-run repeatability was made. The technique itself was tested by deforming the antenna surface in a known way and subsequently detecting the deformation.     

An Instrument for Measuring Deformations in Large Structures

An instrument that has been developed for measuring the deformations in shape that result from the movement of a radio telescope reflector is described. A radar technique is used to measure distances from near the focal point of the reflector to selected points on the reflector surface. The short term accuracy of the instrument is ±0.003 in) and when used on the 140-ft telescope in Green Bank, W.Va., good agreement was found between calculated and measured deformations.     

Long-exposure filtering of turbulence-degraded wavefronts

The quasi-static aberrations of optical telescopes are often determined using light from a star as the reference wavefront. We calculate the exposure time necessary to determine the amplitude of the phase aberrations for a given telescope to a given accuracy in the presence of atmospheric seeing. We implement a computational simulation of the atmosphere and present the root mean square of the generated wavefront Zernike amplitudes for a given exposure time. We find the exposure time τ required to reach a desired precision is strongly dependent on telescope diameter (τ∝D(8/3)) and can be many tens of minutes in extreme cases. We present the results so τ can be calculated for a range of telescopes and atmospheric parameters.     

Evaluation of least-squares phase-diversity technique for space telescope wave-front sensing

Because of mechanical aspects of fabrication, launch, and operational environment, space telescope optics can suffer from unforeseen aberrations, detracting from their intended diffraction-limited performance goals. We give the results of simulation studies designed to explore how wave-front aberration information for such near-diffraction-limited telescopes can be estimated through a regularized, low-pass filtered version of the Gonsalves (least-squares) phase-diversity technique. We numerically simulate models of both monolithic and segmented space telescope mirrors; the segmented case is a simplified model of the proposed next generation space telescope. The simulation results quantify the accuracy of phase diversity as a wave-front sensing (WFS) technique in estimating the pupil phase map. The pupil phase is estimated from pairs of conventional and out-of-focus photon-limited point-source images. Image photon statistics are simulated for three different average light levels. Simulation results give an indication of the minimum light level required for reliable estimation of a large number of aberration parameters under the least-squares paradigm. For weak aberrations that average a 0.10lambda pupil rms, the average WFS estimation errors obtained here range from a worst case of 0.057lambda pupil rms to a best case of only 0.002lambda pupil rms, depending on the light level as well as on the types and degrees of freedom of the aberrations present.     

连续变焦望远镜中凸轮的工艺性分析

在连续变焦望远镜中，圆柱凸轮上变倍及补偿曲线槽的精度，将影响连续变焦望远镜中变倍组与补偿组的光学关系。因此，保证凸轮的加工精度是连续变焦望远镜研制成功的关键之一。本文分析了圆柱凸轮的工艺特性，并结合现有工艺条件，拟定了一套切实可行的加工工艺方案，设计了专用夹具，使圆柱凸轮的加工精度满足设计要求．     

Analysis of stellar interferometers as wave-front sensors

The basic principle and theoretical relationships of an original method are presented that allow the wave-front errors of a ground or spaceborne telescope to be retrieved when its main pupil is combined with a second, decentered reference optical arm. The measurement accuracy of such a telescope-interferometer is then estimated by means of various numerical simulations, and good performance is demonstrated, except in limited areas near the telescope pupil's rim. In particular, it permits direct phase evaluation (thus avoiding the use of first- or second-order derivatives), which will be of special interest for the cophasing of segmented mirrors in future giant-telescope projects. Finally, the useful practical domain of the method is defined, which seems to be better suited for periodic diagnostics of space- or ground-based telescopes or to real-time scientific observations in some specific cases (e.g., the central star in instruments that search for extrasolar planets).     

Field-of-view limitations of phased telescope arrays

The optical performance of imaging phased telescope arrays is degraded by various design, manufacturing, and operational errors. Perhaps the most basic and fundamental of these error sources are the residual aberrations of the optical design chosen for the individual telescopes. We show that third-order field curvature and distortion, which are rather benign aberrations in a conventional telescope, result in relative phase and tilt errors between the individual telescopes making up the array. The field-dependent image degradation caused by these relative phase and tilt errors is then predicted for different subaperture configurations and telescope design parameters. For phased arrays made up of simple two-mirror telescopes, distortion limits the field of view to less than 5 arcmin for small subapertures (D < 0.5 m), and field curvature limits the field of view to less than 1 arcmin for subaperture diameters greater than 2 m. Quantitative parametric results yielding tolerances for residual field curvature as the phased array is scaled up in size are presented graphically. If a 0.5-deg field of view is desired for telescope diameters greater than 2 m, complex telescope configurations are necessary to satisfy the rather tight tolerances on both field curvature and distortion.     

Laboratory imaging stellar interferometer with fiber links

We report on the implementation of an end-to-end imaging demonstrator to validate the concept of optical fiber use in high-resolution aperture synthesis in astronomy. As the coherent transport of light has been conclusively investigated, this study is focused primarily on the accuracy and reliability of the experimental data. In the framework of the European Space Agency project Optical Aperture Synthesis Technologies (OAST), the telescope array's complexity is minimized such that a realistic concept for a future space mission can be proposed. The reconstructed images are obtained by use of a particular self-calibration procedure that was designed to process the visibility contrast and the related weak phase information (one phase closure for each visibility triplet).     

Wide-field Fizeau imaging telescope: experimental results

A nine-aperture, wide-field Fizeau imaging telescope has been built at the Lockheed-Martin Advanced Technology Center. The telescope consists of nine, 125 mm diameter collector telescopes coherently phased and combined to form a diffraction-limited image with a resolution that is consistent with the 610 mm diameter of the telescope. The phased field of view of the array is 1 murad. The measured rms wavefront error is 0.08 waves rms at 635 nm. The telescope is actively controlled to correct for tilt and phasing errors. The control sensing technique is the method known as phase diversity, which extracts wavefront information from a pair of focused and defocused images. The optical design of the telescope and typical performance results are described.     

Polarimetric calibration of large-aperture telescopes. I. Beam-expansion method

A concept is described for the high-accuracy absolute calibration of the instrumental polarization introduced by the primary mirror of a large-aperture telescope. This procedure requires a small aperture with polarization-calibration optics (e.g., mounted on the dome) followed by a lens that opens the beam to illuminate the entire surface of the mirror. The Jones matrix corresponding to this calibration setup (with a diverging incident beam) is related to that of the normal observing setup (with a collimated incident beam) by an approximate correction term. Numerical models of parabolic on-axis and off-axis mirrors with surface imperfections are used to explore the accuracy of the procedure.     

1.8 m太阳望远镜偏振标定单元设计

中国1.8 m太阳望远镜(Chinese large solar telescope, CLST)致力于对太阳偏振的高精度及高灵敏度测量。然而其系统本身会引入仪器偏振, 并且在望远镜运行的过程中, 仪器偏振会随其指向的变化而变化。这就降低了系统的测量精度。因此, 需要一个偏振标定单元对其仪器偏振进行标定。为此, 本文对偏振标定的原理和方法进行了研究, 并且给出了针对CLST的偏振标定单元设计方案。     

Medium-precision null-screen testing of off-axis parabolic mirrors for segmented primary telescope optics: the large millimeter telescope

The feasibility of using null screens for testing the segments of a parabolic segmented telescope mirror for the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) is analyzed. An algorithm for designing the null screen for testing the off-axis segments of conic surfaces is described. Actual screen designs for the different classes of segments of the LMT are presented. The sensitivity of the test and the required accuracies for the fabrication and positioning of the screen are analyzed. A measuring accuracy of approximately 12 microm in surface sagitta is within the reach of the technique.     

Measurement of telescope aberrations through atmospheric turbulence by use of phase diversity

We conduct computer simulations of the reconstruction of a wave front at a telescope pupil with the phase-diversity method. An instantaneous wave front is reconstructed from focused and defocused specklegrams of a point star. In the wave-front reconstruction we do not fit the wave front to Zernike polynomials but retrieve the phase with a phase-unwrapping procedure. Averaging over many atmospherically perturbed wave fronts leads to the residual phase error, namely, the aberration of the telescope. The scintillation effect, nonuniformity of amplitude on a telescope pupil, is also discussed.     

空间引力波探测望远镜指向偏差地面高精度测量技术研究

星载望远镜是实现空间引力波探测的核心组成部分。由于各星座之间传输距离达到10⁹ m量级,对望远镜指向精度提出了nrad量级的严苛要求,而指向偏差高精度测量和定标就成为实现空间引力波探测星载望远镜高精度指向的前提。为实现星载望远镜指向偏差地面测试及传感器定标需求,本文提出基于哈特曼原理的新型指向偏差高精度测量方法,采用多子孔径空间复用思想降低各类随机误差对测量精度的影响,显著提升了指向偏差测量精度。本文根据传感器参数与指向偏差测量精度之间的定量关系,对哈特曼传感器参数进行了分析优化,并分析了星载望远镜指向偏差测量精度。研究结果表明：采用基于哈特曼原理的多子孔径空间复用方法,可以实现对星载望远镜指向偏差0.62 nrad的高精度测量,为空间引力波探测望远镜地面测试及在轨传感器定标提供了可行途径和参考。

     

超长空间激光传输数值模拟研究进展

文章主要围绕空间引力波探测中超长空间链路传输部分进行介绍,概述了目前国内外星间传输仿真时采用的计算方法,以及指向抖动引起的相位噪声分析方法。相较于地基引力波探测,空间引力波探测可以有效降低噪声,增加干涉臂长度,从而实现更高精度、更低频率的探测。在长达数百万公里的传输距离,以及皮米量级数值模拟的精度要求下,需要考虑指向角变化引起的相位噪声。研究表明,在2.5×10⁹ m的传输距离下,离焦和像散是影响指向抖动噪声的主要像差。通常情况下,相位驻点位置与原点位置存在一定偏离,需要对望远镜角度进行调整,才能使相位噪声最小化。在相位驻点位置进行引力波探测,可以有效降低相位噪声,并降低望远镜出瞳波前的质量要求。而大的离焦像差与小的彗差可以使相位驻点接近光轴,提高接收到的激光功率。

     

Millimeter-wave center of curvature test for a fast paraboloid

We describe a technique for measuring the surface profile of a radio telescope with a fast paraboloidal primary. The technique uses a sensor, at the center of curvature of the primary, consisting of a millimeter-wave source and an array of receivers to measure the field in the caustic. The sensor is mounted on the telescope enclosure and it moves with the telescope, so the measurements can be used for continuous, slow, closed-loop control of the surface. Sensor decenter and despace errors, due to wind buffeting and thermal deformation of the sensor support, do not compromise the surface measurements because they result in profile errors that are mainly translation, which has no effect on astronomical observations, or tilt and defocus, which can be measured using astronomical sources. If the position of the sensor is known to 20 μm rms, the surface can be measured to ~1 μm rms at λ=3 mm.     

Strehl ratio and modulation transfer function for segmented mirror telescopes as functions of segment phase error

We derive the Strehl ratio for a segmented mirror telescope as a function of the rms segment phase error and the observing wavelength, with and without the effects of the atmosphere. A simple analytical expression is given for the atmosphere-free case. Although our specific results are in the context of the Keck telescope, they are presented in a way that should be readily adaptable to other segmented geometries. We also derive the corresponding modulation transfer functions. These results are useful in determining how accurately a segmented mirror telescope needs to be phased for a variety of observing applications.     

Cryogenic optical performance of the ASTRO-F SiC telescope

The lightweight cryogenic telescope on board the Japanese infrared astronomical satellite, ASTRO-F, which is scheduled to be launched early in 2006, forms an F/6 Ritchey-Chretien system with a primary mirror of 710 mm in diameter. The mirrors of the ASTRO-F telescope are made of sandwich-type silicon carbide (SiC) material, comprising a porous core and a chemical-vapor-deposited coat of SiC on the surface. To estimate the optical performance of the flight model telescope, the telescope assembly was tested at cryogenic temperatures, the total wavefront errors of which were measured by an interferometer from outside a liquid-helium chamber. As a result, the wavefront error obtained at 9 K shows that the imaging performance of the ASTRO-F telescope is diffraction limited at a wavelength of 6.2 microm, which is a little worse than our original goal of diffraction-limited performance at 5.0 microm.