Performance of a Novel PMMA Polymer Imaging Bundle for Field Acquisition and Wavefront Sensing. (31st January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Richards, S. N.; Leon-Saval, S.; Goodwin, M.; Zheng, J.; Lawrence, J. S.; Bryant, J. J.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Norris, B.; Cvetojevic, N.; Argyros, A.
• Is Part Of: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. Volume 34(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-01-31
• Subjects: instrumentation: adaptive optics – instrumentation: high angular resolution – instrumentation: miscellaneous – telescopes; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Southern sky (Astronomy) -- Periodicals; Astrophysics -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2017.1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1323-3580

Abstract

Abstract: Imaging bundles provide a convenient way to translate a spatially coherent image, yet conventional imaging bundles made from silica fibre optics typically remain expensive with large losses due to poor filling factors (~40%). We present the characterisation of a novel polymer imaging bundle made from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) that is considerably cheaper and a better alternative to silica imaging bundles over short distances (~1 m; from the middle to the edge of a telescope's focal plane). The large increase in filling factor (92% for the polymer imaging bundle) outweighs the large increase in optical attenuation from using PMMA (1 dB/m) instead of silica (10 −3 dB/m). We present and discuss current and possible future multi-object applications of the polymer imaging bundle in the context of astronomical instrumentation including: field acquisition, guiding, wavefront sensing, narrow-band imaging, aperture masking, and speckle imaging. The use of PMMA limits its use in low-light applications (e.g., imaging of galaxies); however, it is possible to fabricate polymer imaging bundles from a range of polymers that are better suited to the desired science.