Techniques for High Angular Resolution Astronomical Imaging

Citations Over Time

Abstract

Astronomical telescopes are devices which collect as much radiation from astronomical (stellar) objects and put it in an as sharp (small) an image as possible. Both collecting area and angular resolution play a role. The relative merit of these two functions has changed over the years in optical astronomy, with the angular resolution initially dominating and then, as the atmospheric seeing limit was reached, the collecting area becoming the most important factor. Therefore it is the habit these days to express the quality of a telescope by its (collecting) diameter rather than by its angular resolution. With the introduction of techniques which overcome the limits set by atmospheric seeing, the emphasis is changing back to angular resolution. This time, however, it is set by the diffraction limit of the telescope so that both angular resolution and collecting power of a telescope will be determined by its diameter. Both telescope functions will therefore go hand-in-hand.

Related Papers

• → Gamma-telescope with very high angular and spectral resolution(1984)3 cited
• → 16 m Large Slit Aperture Telescope for Very High Angular Resolution Astronomy(1984)4 cited
• → Possibilities of the use of polycapillary optics in x-ray astronomy(1998)
• → Interferometers and Aperture Synthesis(1996)
• → Interferometers and Aperture Synthesis(2004)