Citation
Abstract
We report the relative diameter at which an optical antenna (telescope) having finite surface quality theoretically gathers the same amount of signal into the detector’s field of view as a smaller antenna having a flawless surface. This relationship addresses a large range of errors from surface microroughness to surface figure error and panel misalignment, establishing a versatile guide for future trading of quality against aperture size in the specification of the primary mirror of the planned Deep Space Optical Reception Antenna (DSORA). We also report the ratio of background due to direct sunlight scattered from the primary mirror into the detector’s field of view to background due to difiuse sky brightness, as a function of surface quality. This relationship determines a system-level trade space involving minimum operational Sun-Earth-probe (SEP) angle and surface quality. Limitations of the surface-roughness model employed are discussed.
Keywords
Details
- Volume
- 42-143
- Published
- November 15, 2000
- Pages
- 1–11
- File Size
- 623.7 KB