Astrophysics (Index)About

wavefront sensor

(WFS)
(instrument for determining a wave's deformation)

A wavefront sensor is an instrument for determining an EMR wave's deformation, used to control a correcting instrument in an adaptive optics (AO) system. Types include:

The deformation of interest consists of the wave lacking coherence of its phase, i.e., over a cross-section of the passing EMR, some has its wave peak passing earlier and some later. If the EMR is collimated, the deformation consists of it being something other than a plane wave, and if it is focused to or from a point, the problem consists of the wave's peak varying in its distance from the focal point.


(instrument type,adaptive optics,telescopes,waves)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_optics#Wavefront_sensing_and_correction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_sensor
http://www.ctio.noirlab.edu/~atokovin/tutorial/Lecture3.pdf
https://www.axiomoptics.com/application/wavefront-sensing-aaplications/

Referenced by pages:
adaptive optics (AO)
deformable mirror (DM)
MMT
SUNRISE
wavefront error (WFE)

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