Active optics with a minimum number of actuators

Abstract

AbstractOptics for astronomy implies powerful developments of active and adaptive optics methods applied to instrumentation from X-rays to the near infrared for the design of telescopes, spectrographs, and coronagraph planet finders. This presentation particularly emphasizes the development of active optics methods. Highly accurate and remarkably smooth surfaces from active optics methods allow new optical systems that use highly aspheric and non-axisymmetric – freeform – surfaces. Depending on the goal and performance required for a deformable optical surface, elasticity theory analysis is carried out either with small deformation thin plate theory, large deformation thin plate theory, shallow spherical shell theory, or the weakly conical shell theory. A mirror thickness distribution is then determined as a function of associated bending actuators and boundary conditions. For a given optical shape to generate, one searches for optical solutions with a minimum number of actuators.