Abstract

The notion of a sparse aperture system offers a novel solution to decrease the volumes and weight of space telescopes while pursuing higher resolutions. A simulation of the applicable sparse aperture systems is studied. First, the principle of ray tracing used in the optical design program is analyzed. It is pointed out that surface models representing the primary mirror of a sparse aperture system can be established by programming and creating Dynamic Link Library files to define the propagation properties of the passing rays. The method of simulating the Golay3 multiple mirror telescope (MMT) with a conicoidal primary mirror is proposed. Second, the structure of the conicoidal primary mirror of the Golay3 MMT is investigated. Formulas to define the directions, optical path lengths and intensities of rays passing through the primary mirror are deduced. Finally, two Golay3 MMT systems are simulated as examples. Their simulation results are presented and analyzed. The theoretical fill factors, the simulative fill factors, and the normalized modulation transfer functions of the simulated system are calculated to verify the proposed simulation method. They are proved to be in accordance with each other.

© 2016 Optical Society of America

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