Can telescopes with elongated pupils achieve higher contrast and resolution?

Guy Nir; Barak Zackay; Eran O. Ofek

doi:10.1117/12.2313306

9 July 2018 Can telescopes with elongated pupils achieve higher contrast and resolution?

Guy Nir, Barak Zackay, Eran O. Ofek

Proceedings Volume 10701, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI; 107010Q (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313306
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

We propose using telescopes with an elongated-pupil to improve resolution as compared to circular-pupil tele- scopes. For the same aperture area and exposure time, an elongated-pupil telescope will have higher resolution on one axis than the maximum resolution of the circular-pupil on any axis. If the elongated-pupil is rotated around the optical axis and the same field is measured at different angles, a final image with a circular-symmetric point spread function can be reconstructed using proper image coaddition algorithms. We present simulations comparing a circular- and an elongated-pupil telescope and show the elongated-pupil telescope attains higher contrast at lower separation between a bright star and a faint companion. Further work, probing the advantages of elongated-pupil telescopes using simulations of imperfect optics, point spread function measurement errors, and atmospheric turbulence is currently underway.

Citation Download Citation

Guy Nir, Barak Zackay, and Eran O. Ofek "Can telescopes with elongated pupils achieve higher contrast and resolution?", Proc. SPIE 10701, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI, 107010Q (9 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313306

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