No / John Baruch surveys the work of the Bradford Robotic Telescope – a project rooted in innovation and education, full of potential for an exciting future.

This thesis describes an analytical approach to the optical design of four-mirror anastigmatic optical systems. In all cases investigated here the object is at infinity. In the introduction the field of reflecting, or "catoptric", optical system design is discussed and given some historical context. The concept of the "simplest possible reflecting anastigmat" is raised in connection with Plate Diagram analysis. It is shown that four-plate systems are in general the simplest possible anastigmats, and that four-plate systems comprised of four spherical mirrors are the last family of "simplest possible reflecting anastigmats" for which the complete solution set remains unknown. In chapter 2 third-order aberration coefficients in wavefront measure are derived in a form that is particularly suitable for Plate Diagram analysis. These coefficients are subsequently used to describe the Plate Diagram, and to detail the application of the Plate Diagram to the survey of all possible solutions for four-spherical-mirror anastigmats. The Plate Diagram technique is also generalized to investigate its use as an optical design tool. In the example given a generalized Plate Diagram approach is used to determine solutions for four-mirror anastigmats with a prescribed first-order layout and a minimum number of conicoids. In chapter 3 results are presented for the survey of four-spherical-mirror anastigmats in which all elements are required to be smaller than the primary mirror. Two novel families of four-spherical-mirror anastigmats are presented and these are shown to be the only examples of four-spherical-mirror systems that exist under the given constraints. Chapter 4 gives an example of the application of Plate Diagram analysis to the design of an anastigmatic system with a useful first-order layout and a minimum number of conicoid mirrors. It is shown that systems with useful first-order layouts and only one conicoid mirror can be obtained using this method. In chapter 5 results are presented of the survey of all remaining four-spherical-mirror anastigmatic systems: that is systems in which elements are allowed to exceed the diameter of the entrance pupil, which includes systems with concave and convex primary mirrors. A wide variety of solutions are presented and classified according to both the underlying geometry of the solutions and the first-order layouts. Of these systems only one has been reported in previously published literature. The results presented in this thesis complete the set of "four-plate" reflecting anastigmats, and it can now be said that all possible solutions for four-spherical-mirror anastigmatic systems have been determined.

This thesis describes an analytical approach to the optical design of four-mirror anastigmatic optical systems. In all cases investigated here the object is at infinity. In the introduction the field of reflecting, or "catoptric", optical system design is discussed and given some historical context. The concept of the "simplest possible reflecting anastigmat" is raised in connection with Plate Diagram analysis. It is shown that four-plate systems are in general the simplest possible anastigmats, and that four-plate systems comprised of four spherical mirrors are the last family of "simplest possible reflecting anastigmats" for which the complete solution set remains unknown. In chapter 2 third-order aberration coefficients in wavefront measure are derived in a form that is particularly suitable for Plate Diagram analysis. These coefficients are subsequently used to describe the Plate Diagram, and to detail the application of the Plate Diagram to the survey of all possible solutions for four-spherical-mirror anastigmats. The Plate Diagram technique is also generalized to investigate its use as an optical design tool. In the example given a generalized Plate Diagram approach is used to determine solutions for four-mirror anastigmats with a prescribed first-order layout and a minimum number of conicoids. In chapter 3 results are presented for the survey of four-spherical-mirror anastigmats in which all elements are required to be smaller than the primary mirror. Two novel families of four-spherical-mirror anastigmats are presented and these are shown to be the only examples of four-spherical-mirror systems that exist under the given constraints. Chapter 4 gives an example of the application of Plate Diagram analysis to the design of an anastigmatic system with a useful first-order layout and a minimum number of conicoid mirrors. It is shown that systems with useful first-order layouts and only one conicoid mirror can be obtained using this method. In chapter 5 results are presented of the survey of all remaining four-spherical-mirror anastigmatic systems: that is systems in which elements are allowed to exceed the diameter of the entrance pupil, which includes systems with concave and convex primary mirrors. A wide variety of solutions are presented and classified according to both the underlying geometry of the solutions and the first-order layouts. Of these systems only one has been reported in previously published literature. The results presented in this thesis complete the set of "four-plate" reflecting anastigmats, and it can now be said that all possible solutions for four-spherical-mirror anastigmatic systems have been determined.

No description available.

No description available.

<p>This is a part of the project “Radio telescope system” working at 1.42 GHz, which includes designing of patch antenna and LNA. The main objective of this thesis is to design a two stage low noise amplifier for a radio telescope system, working at the frequency 1.42 GHz. Finally our aim is to design a two stage LNA, match, connect and test together with patch antenna to reduce</p><p>the system complexity and signal loss.</p><p>The requirements to design a two stage low noise amplifier (LNA) were well studied, topics including RF basic theory, layout and fabrication of RF circuits. A number of tools are available to design and simulate low noise amplifiers but our simulation work was done using advanced design system (ADS 2004 A). The design process includes selection of a proper device, stability check of the device, biasing, designing of matching networks and layout of total design and fabrication. A lot of time has been</p><p>spent on designing of impedance matching network, fabrication and testing of the design circuits and finally a two stage low noise amplifier (LNA) was designed. After the fabrication work, the circuits were tested by the spectrum analyzer in between 9 KHz to 25 GHz frequency range. Finally the resulting noise figure 0.299 dB and gain 24.25 dB are obtained from the simulation.</p><p>While measuring the values from the fabricated circuit board, we found that bias point is not stable due to self oscillations in the amplifier stages at lower frequencies like 149 MHz for first stage and 355 MHz for second stage.</p>

Stars form from collapsing massive clouds of gas and dust. The UV and optical light emitted by a forming or recently-formed star is absorbed by the surrounding cloud and is re-radiated thermally at infrared and submillimetre wavelengths. Observations in the submillimetre spectrum are uniquely sensitive to star formation in the early Universe, as the peak of the thermal emission is redshifted to submillimetre wavelengths. The coolest objects in star forming regions in our own Galaxy, including heavily-obscured proto-stars and starless gravitationally-bound clumps, are also uniquely bright in the submillimetre spectrum. The Earth's atmosphere is mostly opaque at these wavelengths, however, limiting the spectral coverage and sensitivity achievable from ground-based observatories. The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) observes the sky from an altitude of 40 km, above 99.5% of the atmosphere, using a long-duration scientific balloon platform. BLAST observes at 3 broad-band wavelengths spanning 250-500 micron, taking advantage of detector technology developed for the space-based instrument SPIRE, scheduled for launch in 2008. The greatly-enhanced atmospheric transmission at float altitudes, increased detector sensitivity and large number of detector elements allow BLAST to survey much larger fields in a much smaller time than can be accomplished with ground-based instruments. It is expected that in a single 10-day flight, BLAST will detect ~10000 extragalactic sources, ~100 times the number detected in 10 years of ground-based observations, and 1000s of Galactic star-forming sources, a large fraction of which are not seen by infrared telescopes. The instrument has performed 2 scientific flights, in the summer of 2005 and winter of 2006, for a total of 16 days of observing time. This thesis discusses the design of the instrument, performance of the flights, and presents the analysis of 2 of the fields observed during the first flight. A failure in the optical system during the first flight precluded sensitive extragalactic observations, so the majority of the flight was spent observing Galactic targets. We anticipate exciting extragalactic and Galactic results from the 2006 data.

No description available.

This is a part of the project “Radio telescope system” working at 1.42 GHz, which includes designing of patch antenna and LNA. The main objective of this thesis is to design a two stage low noise amplifier for a radio telescope system, working at the frequency 1.42 GHz. Finally our aim is to design a two stage LNA, match, connect and test together with patch antenna to reduce the system complexity and signal loss. The requirements to design a two stage low noise amplifier (LNA) were well studied, topics including RF basic theory, layout and fabrication of RF circuits. A number of tools are available to design and simulate low noise amplifiers but our simulation work was done using advanced design system (ADS 2004 A). The design process includes selection of a proper device, stability check of the device, biasing, designing of matching networks and layout of total design and fabrication. A lot of time has been spent on designing of impedance matching network, fabrication and testing of the design circuits and finally a two stage low noise amplifier (LNA) was designed. After the fabrication work, the circuits were tested by the spectrum analyzer in between 9 KHz to 25 GHz frequency range. Finally the resulting noise figure 0.299 dB and gain 24.25 dB are obtained from the simulation. While measuring the values from the fabricated circuit board, we found that bias point is not stable due to self oscillations in the amplifier stages at lower frequencies like 149 MHz for first stage and 355 MHz for second stage.

Stars form from collapsing massive clouds of gas and dust. The UV and optical light emitted by a forming or recently-formed star is absorbed by the surrounding cloud and is re-radiated thermally at infrared and submillimetre wavelengths. Observations in the submillimetre spectrum are uniquely sensitive to star formation in the early Universe, as the peak of the thermal emission is redshifted to submillimetre wavelengths. The coolest objects in star forming regions in our own Galaxy, including heavily-obscured proto-stars and starless gravitationally-bound clumps, are also uniquely bright in the submillimetre spectrum. The Earth's atmosphere is mostly opaque at these wavelengths, however, limiting the spectral coverage and sensitivity achievable from ground-based observatories. The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) observes the sky from an altitude of 40 km, above 99.5% of the atmosphere, using a long-duration scientific balloon platform. BLAST observes at 3 broad-band wavelengths spanning 250-500 micron, taking advantage of detector technology developed for the space-based instrument SPIRE, scheduled for launch in 2008. The greatly-enhanced atmospheric transmission at float altitudes, increased detector sensitivity and large number of detector elements allow BLAST to survey much larger fields in a much smaller time than can be accomplished with ground-based instruments. It is expected that in a single 10-day flight, BLAST will detect ~10000 extragalactic sources, ~100 times the number detected in 10 years of ground-based observations, and 1000s of Galactic star-forming sources, a large fraction of which are not seen by infrared telescopes. The instrument has performed 2 scientific flights, in the summer of 2005 and winter of 2006, for a total of 16 days of observing time. This thesis discusses the design of the instrument, performance of the flights, and presents the analysis of 2 of the fields observed during the first flight. A failure in the optical system during the first flight precluded sensitive extragalactic observations, so the majority of the flight was spent observing Galactic targets. We anticipate exciting extragalactic and Galactic results from the 2006 data.