Abstract

The requirements for optical path compensation on space-based (no atmospheric-induced disturbance) heterodyne interferometers and generalized Michelson stellar interferometers are developed. It is demonstrated that heterodyne interferometers require optical path compensation to well within the coherence length dictated by its bandwidth, while Michelson stellar interferometers require compensation to a fraction of their utilized wavelength.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

Radio-astronomy precedent for optical interferometer imaging

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Differential path considerations in optical stellar interferometry

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