Sandia Corporation

The University of New Mexico

John T McGraw

Mark Ackermann

Peter C Zimmer

Methods and apparatus for a structure function monitor provide for generation of parameters characterizing a refractive medium. In an embodiment, a structure function monitor acquires images of a pupil plane and an image plane and, from these images, retrieves the phase over an aperture, unwraps the retrieved phase, and analyzes the unwrapped retrieved phase. In an embodiment, analysis yields atmospheric parameters measured at spatial scales from zero to the diameter of a telescope used to collect light from a source.

Structure function monitor

A wide field of view telescope having two concave and two convex reflective surfaces, each with an aspheric surface contour, has a flat focal plane array. Each of the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary reflective surfaces are rotationally symmetric about the optical axis. The combination of the reflective surfaces results in a wide field of view in the range of approximately 3.8&#xb0; to approximately 6.5&#xb0;. The length of the telescope along the optical axis is approximately equal to or less than the diameter of the largest of the reflective surfaces.

Growing community of inventors

Placitas, NM, United States of America

John T McGraw