Laboratory demonstration of a liquid atmospheric dispersion corrector

J. Zheng; W. Saunders; J. S. Lawrence; F. Bastien; F. Cantalloube

doi:10.1117/12.925248

13 September 2012 Laboratory demonstration of a liquid atmospheric dispersion corrector

J. Zheng, W. Saunders, J. S. Lawrence, F. Bastien, F. Cantalloube

Proceedings Volume 8450, Modern Technologies in Space- and Ground-based Telescopes and Instrumentation II; 84500F (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.925248
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2012, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

A liquid atmospheric dispersion corrector (LADC) is investigated to compensate atmospheric dispersion for modern extremely large telescopes (ELTs). The LADC uses a pair of immiscible liquids in a small glass container which can be placed very close to the telescope focal plane. A pair of liquid prisms is formed and the apex of the two prisms varies with telescope zenith because of gravity. The idea is that a large number of independent deployable units (e.g., AAO's 'Starbugs') would each carry its own LADC. Three pairs of liquids were identified that were found suitable for use in an LADC after thousands of chemicals were investigated. We have theoretically and experimentally verified that LADC can correct atmospheric dispersion adaptively. It is demonstrated that a LADC can correct a simulated atmospheric dispersion of 0.34° at a Zenith of 48°, over a wavelength range of 370nm to 655nm. The experimental results show very good agreement with the optical (Zemax) model.

Citation Download Citation

J. Zheng, W. Saunders, J. S. Lawrence, F. Bastien, and F. Cantalloube "Laboratory demonstration of a liquid atmospheric dispersion corrector", Proc. SPIE 8450, Modern Technologies in Space- and Ground-based Telescopes and Instrumentation II, 84500F (13 September 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.925248

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