Real-Time Correction of Atmospherically Degraded Telescope Images Through Image Sharpening

Abstract

A new technique for the correction of atmospheric distortion in a telescope is presented. Most of this distortion arises from a random phase variation in the incoming light across the telescope aperture. This variation limits the resolving power of even large telescopes to about one second of arc. If one defines the 'sharpness' value of the images in a suitable way, this sharpness is maximized only when the phase distortion of the incoming light is zero. The report presents computer simulations of a simple feedback system in which flexible optical elements, adjusted to maximize the sharpness, correct most of the atmospheric distortion.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1974
Accession Number
AD0786157

Entities

People

  • A. Buffington
  • Richard A. Muller

Organizations

  • SRI International

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheres
  • Binary Stars
  • Brightness
  • Closed Loop Systems
  • Computer Simulations
  • Delta Functions
  • Diameters
  • Diffraction
  • Distortion
  • Equations
  • Ground Based
  • Image Restoration
  • Monochromatic Light
  • Optics
  • Phase Distortion
  • Photoelectrons
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Image Processing and Computer Vision.
  • Mathematical Modeling and Probability Theory.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster