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Physics

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Theses/Dissertations

2010

Astronomical instrumentation

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Measuring The Effective Wavelength Of Chara Classic, Emily Collins Bowsher Apr 2010

Measuring The Effective Wavelength Of Chara Classic, Emily Collins Bowsher

Physics and Astronomy Theses

This thesis presents an engineering project measuring the effective wavelength of the CHARA Classic beam combiner on the CHARA Array. Knowing the actual effective wavelength of light observed is very important because that value is necessary for determining astrophysical parameters of stars. Currently, the value used for CHARA Classic data comes from a model of the system and is based on numbers published by the manufacturer of the filter; it is not derived from measurements done on the system directly. We use two data collection methods to observe standard stars of different spectral types and calculate the wavelength of light …


Misalignment Induced Nodal Aberration Fields And Their Use In The Alignment Of Astronomical Telescopes, Tobias Schmid Jan 2010

Misalignment Induced Nodal Aberration Fields And Their Use In The Alignment Of Astronomical Telescopes, Tobias Schmid

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the foundation of aberration theory for rotationally symmetric optical systems established by Seidel, Schwarzschild, Burch, Conrady, Buchdahl, and in its most useful form H.H. Hopkins, Shack, Buchroeder, Thompson, and Rogers developed a vectorial form of the wave aberration theory that enables addressing optical systems without symmetry. In this research, a vectorial theory is utilized and extended for the alignment of two- and three-mirror astronomical telescopes, including the effects of pointing changes and astigmatic figure errors. Importantly, it is demonstrated that the vectorial form of aberration theory, also referred to as nodal aberration theory, not only provides valuable insights but …