Related papers: A method to measure the mirror reflectivity of a p…
The VERITAS array is a set of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) sensitive to gamma rays with energies above 80 GeV. Each telescope is based on a tessellated mirror, 12 metres in diameter, which reflects light from a…
The VERITAS array is a set of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) sensitive to gamma rays at energies between 85 GeV and 30 TeV. Each telescope is based on a tessellated mirror, 12 metres in diameter, which reflects light…
The absolute reflectance of a reflector and its point spread function are the key parameters of a telescope for measuring light flux. Typically, one is using low-cost technologies for producing mirrors for the needs of astro-particle…
Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) used for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy at TeV energies use reflectors with areas on the order of 100m$^2$ as their primary optic. These tessellated reflectors comprise hundreds of mirror…
We present a means of characterizing and removing internal reflections between the CCD and other optical surfaces in an astronomical camera. The stellar reflections appear as out-of-focus images and are not necessarily axisymmetric about…
Concentrated solar power is a promising technique enabling renewable energy production with large scale solar power plants in the near future. Estimating quantitatively the reflectivity of a solar concentrator is a major issue, since it has…
The reflector used by an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (IACT) consists of a tessellated array of mirrors mounted on a large frame. This arrangement allows for a very large reflecting surface with sufficient optical quality for the…
Cherenkov Telescopes are equipped with optical dishes of large diameter -- in general based on segmented mirrors -- with typical angular resolution of a few arc-minutes. To evaluate the mirror's quality specific metrological systems are…
We entertain the use of light dependent resistors as a viable option as measuring sensors in optics laboratory experiments or classroom demonstrations. The main advantages of theses devices are essentially very low cost, easy handling and…
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted in extensive air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs using mass…
We present total and specular reflectance measurements of various materials that are commonly (and uncommonly) used to provide baffling and/or to minimize the effect of stray light in optical systems. More specifically, we investigate the…
The LAMP (Lightweight Asymmetry and Magnetism Probe) X-ray telescope is a mission concept to measure the polarization of X-ray astronomical sources at 250 eV via imaging mirrors that reflect at incidence angles near the polarization angle,…
Two methods of refractometry in reflected light from optical surface of samples are considered and studied experimentally. Methods are grounded on results of Fresnel theory of concerning light reflectivity at near normal incidence and…
The focal-plane camera of $\gamma$-ray telescopes frequently uses light concentrators in front of light sensors. The purpose of these concentrators is to increase the effective area of the camera as well as to reduce the stray light coming…
Mirror facets of the H.E.S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are aligned using stars imaged onto the closed lid of the PMT camera, viewed by a CCD camera. The alignment procedure works reliably and includes the automatic analysis…
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures and high image intensities to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted from cosmic ray air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill…
Mitigating the far sidelobes of a wide field-of-view telescope is one of the critical issues for polarization observation of the cosmic microwave background. Since even small reflections of stray light at the millimeter-wave absorbers…
In order to achieve a large deployment of renewable energies, the electricity production costs have to be as low as possible. Many different technologies have been proposed to achieve the best efficiency to cost ratio. One of those is…
Two versions of a fast, purely reflective Paul-Baker type telescope are discussed, each with an 8.4-m aperture, 3 deg diameter flat field and f/1.25 focal ratio. The first version is based on a common, even asphere type of surface with zero…
We describe a technique for measuring the complex reflectivity of an optical cavity with a resonant local oscillator laser and an auxiliary probe laser, each coupled via opposite ends of the cavity. A heterodyne sensing scheme is then used…