国际课程课件系列之物理boardworks Lenses and Telescopes Part 3 - Resolution and image capture.ppt

* of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 * of 11 ? Boardworks Ltd 2015 Magnification or resolution? Resolving power The resolving power of a telescope is the smallest angle of separation at which two points can be distinguished. For instance, the smallest separation at which two distant stars can be distinguished. Any beam of light passing through a circular aperture will produce a diffraction pattern similar to this. Its central spot or Airy disc is the smallest point to which one can focus a beam of light using a lens. Resolving power is limited to the diffraction pattern produced by a circular aperture. The Rayleigh criterion If the two central Airy discs from two stars overlap, then the two sources are difficult to distinguish. When the two Airy discs are far enough apart that their first diffraction minima coincide, then they are easily resolvable. If the Airy disc from one coincides with the first diffraction minimum of the other, then they can just about be resolved. This is the Rayleigh criterion, given by: θ ≈ λ D Where λ is wavelength of the light and D is diameter of the objective lens or mirror. Diameter and resolution The Rayleigh criterion indicates that the larger the diameter of the objective lens or mirror, the higher the resolution of the telescope. θ ≈ λ D This has led to progressively bigger telescopes being built over the years. Currently, the largest is the Gran Telescopio Canarias in the Canary Islands, at a diameter of 10.4 m. European Extremely Large Telescope (artist’s impression) proposed for construction by 2017, with a diameter of 42 m. Atmospheric seeing Resolution is also limited by the scattering of light in the turbulent air of the atmosphere. This is the effect that causes stars to ‘twinkle’, and is known as atmospheric seeing. The Hubble Space Telescope has a v