Practical Optical Interferometry: Imaging at Visible and Infrared Wavelengths

· Cambridge Observing Handbooks for Research Astronomers Book 11 · Cambridge University Press
Ebook
287
Pages
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

Optical interferometry is a powerful technique to make images on angular scales hundreds of times smaller than is possible with the largest telescopes. This concise guide provides an introduction to the technique for graduate students and researchers who want to make interferometric observations and acts as a reference for technologists building new instruments. Starting from the principles of interference, the author covers the core concepts of interferometry, showing how the effects of the Earth's atmosphere can be overcome using closure phase, and the complete process of making an observation, from planning to image reconstruction. This rigorous approach emphasizes the use of rules-of-thumb for important parameters such as the signal-to-noise ratios, requirements for sampling the Fourier plane and predicting image quality. The handbook is supported by web resources, including the Python source code used to make many of the graphs, as well as an interferometry simulation framework, available at www.cambridge.org/9781107042179.

About the author

David F. Buscher is a lecturer at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, and is System Architect for the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer, an imaging interferometer under construction in New Mexico. He works on the design, construction and exploitation of optical interferometers and adaptive optics systems and is the UK representative on the Science Council for the European Interferometry Initiative.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.