Mirror Systems: Engineering Features, Benefits, Limitations And Applications

Irving R. Abel

doi:10.1117/12.946506

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26 July 1985 Mirror Systems: Engineering Features, Benefits, Limitations And Applications

Irving R. Abel

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Proceedings Volume 0531, Geometrical Optics; (1985) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.946506
Event: 1985 Los Angeles Technical Symposium, 1985, Los Angeles, United States

Abstract

The design and building of mirror systems, as contrasted with refractors, is flourishing. This is particularly true in the areas of ground-based and spaceborne astronomical telescopes, spaceborne wide-field mapping and surveillance systems, and X-ray telescopes. In the case of large astronomical telescopes, the Cassegrainian 2-mirror configuration, particularly the Ritchey-Chretien form, still is dominant because of its simplicity and versatility for narrow field imaging. Innovations revolve about the areas of cost reduction through the minimization of overall size in the midst of increasing the collecting aperture. In the case of spaceborne applications, all-reflective systems become even more necessary due to the requirements of broader spectral regions and wavelengths for which no suitable transmitting materials are available. Wide-field configurations are increasingly in demand in order to increase the information rate in mapping and surveillance applications. To this is added the spaceborne explorations in the far-UV and X-ray regions with grazing incidence reflective configurations. In all of these pursuits, the designs are seen to originate in the works of Newton, Schwarzschild, and Schmidt.

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Irving R. Abel "Mirror Systems: Engineering Features, Benefits, Limitations And Applications", Proc. SPIE 0531, Geometrical Optics, (26 July 1985); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.946506

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