Abstract

The use of unfilled aperture techniques at optical wavelengths in space is examined from general principles. At optical wavelengths, unfilled aperture techniques can be used to create an approximation to a filled-aperture optical point spread function, which is then treated by conventional optical techniques (image-plane interferometry). Point-spread functions have been simulated using the AIPS image-processing software for a variety of possible dilute-aperture arrays. In addition, the ability to detect an image on a relatively bright and confusing background has been simulated, and results are presented. The sensitivity of an unfilled-aperture telescope can approximates that of a filled-aperture telescope with the same collecting area. This means that an interferometer with a total area of one square meter can detect many of the brighter astronomical nebulae at 0.01 arcsecond resolution, as well as easily detecting sunlit targets on the earth’s surface with the maximum resolution of 10 cm. that is allowed by the earth's atmosphere.

© 1983 Optical Society of America