Aperture Synthesis

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

   PDF

2. Introduction to Wave Optics

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 1-29

3. Principles of Interference

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 31-49

4. Applications of Interferometry

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 51-114

5. Single-dish Diffraction-limited Imaging

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 115-164

6. Diluted-aperture Stellar Interferometry

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 165-203

7. Basic Tools and Technical Challenges

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 205-252

8. Discrete-Element Interferometers

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 253-298

9. Image Recovery

   • Swapan Kumar Saha

   Pages 299-323

10. Astronomy with Diluted Aperture Interferometry

    • Swapan Kumar Saha

    Pages 325-410

11. Back Matter

    Pages 411-466

    PDF

This book deals with the fundamentals of stellar interferometry with emphasis on aperture synthesis using sparse array of telescopes particularly at optical/IR wavelengths, the origin, properties, and optical effects of turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere, techniques developed to overcome image degradation. Studded with more than one hundred and fifty illustrations and tens of footnotes, it addresses the basic tricks of trade, current trend, motivation, methods, and path to future promise of true interferometry both from the ground and space. Also discussed are the technical challenge involved, such as beam transportation and recombination, detecting fringes using modern sensors, and image synthesis. Astronomical science that benefits from aperture synthesis imaging are highlighted as well.

• Adaptive optics
• High resolution astronomy
• Image processing
• Optical interferometry
• Radio interferometry
• Speckle imaging

• Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India

  Swapan Kumar Saha

Professor S. K. Saha is with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore, India. He has spent one year (1988-89) at the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur (formerly C.E.R.G.A) in Caussols, France. During this year he conducted research on the high angular features of stars, using the long baseline topical interferometer with a pair of 1.5 meter telescopes. He has a strong interest in Experimental Physics and has developed various equipment in the area. He is the author of the book Diffraction-Limited Imaging with Large and Moderate Telescopes (World Scientific, 2007). Another book, 21st Century Astrophysics (Anita Publications, 2005, with V. K. Rastogi (Ed.)) was brought out to commemorate Einstein's "Year of Miracles," which contains a set of articles written by reputed scientists working at the various laboratories across the Globe. Saha has edited a special issue of Asian J. Physics on 'Astrophysics" in 2004.

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