An active fiber sensor for mirror vibration metrology in astronomical interferometers

Research of the active reflector antenna using laser angle metrology system

Active reflector is one of the key technologies for constructing large telescopes, especially for the millimeter/sub-millimeter radio telescopes. This article introduces a new efficient laser angle metrology system for the active reflector antenna of the large radio telescopes, with a plenty of active reflector experiments mainly about the detecting precisions and the maintaining of the surface shape in real time, on the 65-meter radio telescope prototype constructed by Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics and Technology (NIAOT). The test results indicate that the accuracy of the surface s…

利用无人机测试编队飞行立方星概念的前景及其他天文应用

Prospects for using drones to test formation-flying CubeSat concepts, and other astronomical applications

本文提出利用无人机平台对长基线立方星空间干涉仪进行系统级测试，并探索机载望远镜在千米级基线上开展明亮目标干涉测量的可行性。

A Linear Formation Flying Astronomical Interferometer in Low Earth Orbit

Space interferometry is the inevitable endpoint of high angular resolution astrophysics, and a key technology that can be leveraged to analyse exoplanet formation and atmospheres with exceptional detail. However, the anticipated cost of large missions such as Darwin and TPF-I, and inadequate technology readiness levels have resulted in limited developments since the late 2000s. Here, we present a feasibility study into a small scale formation flying interferometric array in Low Earth Orbit, that will aim to prove the technical concepts involved with space interferometry while still making uniq…

用于天文学的超精密多芯光纤连接器

Ultra-precise Multi-fiber Optical Connectors for Astronomy

针对天文仪器对光纤连接低损耗和高稳定性的需求，采用飞秒激光3D打印技术制造亚微米公差的多芯光纤连接器，初步测试显示三芯同时连接损耗低至0.95%。

Astronomical Polarimetry with the RIT Polarization Imaging Camera

In the last decade, imaging polarimeters based on micropolarizer arrays have been developed for use in terrestrial remote sensing and metrology applications. Micropolarizer-based sensors are dramatically smaller and more mechanically robust than other polarimeters with similar spectral response and snapshot capability. To determine the suitability of these new polarimeters for astronomical applications, we developed the RIT Polarization Imaging Camera to investigate the performance of these devices, with a special attention to the low signal-to-noise regime. We characterized the device perform…

3D printing for astronomical mirrors

3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, offers a new vision for optical fabrication in term of achievable optical quality and reduction of weight and cost. In this paper we describe two different ways to use this technique in the fabrication process. The first method makes use of 3D printing in the fabrication of warping harnesses for stress polishing, and we apply that to the fabrication of the WFIRST coronagraph off axis parabolas. The second method considers a proof of concept for 3D printing of lightweight X-Ray mirrors, targeting the next generation of X-rays telescopes. Stress p…