[ATM] A more or less new optical test

[Michael Peck <mpeck1@ix.netcom.com>]

For anyone interested in non-interferometric optical tests that might 
be amateur friendly a preprint just showed up on the arxiv discussing 
a form of generalized Foucault test using variable transmission 
filters. Here's the link to the pdf: 
<http://www.arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0510/0510224.pdf>.

The paper is strictly theoretical with a moderate amount of not too 
deep math and some numerical simulations. The author claims this 
Foucault like test is capable of accuracy comparable to phase 
shifting interferometry or a Shack-Hartmann test. That's based solely 
on a limited set of numerical simulations though, not real world data.

Nils Olof might be interested to see that he gives a partial answer 
to the question of why and when a geometric optics treatment of 
Foucault test data works despite the fact that the intensity 
distribution in the shadowgram is governed by physical optics.

Mike Peck


_________________

Michael Peck
email mpeck1@ix.netcom.com
Wildlife photoblog! http://wildlife-pix.com
Amateur telescope making http://home.earthlink.net/~mlpeck54/astro/astro.html 

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