1 May 1997 Bistatic liquid mirror telescope lidar alignment
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A scheme for aligning a bistatic lidar with liquid mirror telescope (LMT) is described. It is based on the fact that the axis of an LMT is absolutely vertical so that the focal point can be accurately found with a pair of vertically propagating helium neon laser beams, initially retroreflected from a liquid surface (such as the quiescent mercury surface of the LMT). When the detector is located at the focus of the parabolic reflector, the illuminating laser beam has only to be aligned absolutely vertical. This is done with an oil filled cup with a flat glass bottom.
Ralph F. Wuerker "Bistatic liquid mirror telescope lidar alignment," Optical Engineering 36(5), (1 May 1997). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.601359
Published: 1 May 1997
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Cited by 12 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
LIDAR

Liquids

Telescopes

Mirrors

Sensors

Mercury

Sodium

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