Abstract

A third-order analysis of a spherically curved prism in a converging beam shows that solutions exist that permit the beam to pass without aberration. A reflecting telescope with such a prism in front of the focus would form a high-throughput astronomical spectrometer for stellar sources. This configuration would yield diffraction-limited performance at a single wavelength. A LiF prism has been designed for a rocket telescope that will image Jupiter from 1216 to 1608 Å with a spatial resolution limited by the 0.5-arcsec pixels of the detector.

© 1994 Optical Society of America

Two-Surface Refracting Systems with Zero Third-Order Spherical Aberration

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