Calculations of central intensity in an aberrated ghost image

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Rochester. College of Engineering and Applied Science. Institute of Optics. This thesis was digitized by the Institute of Optics in 2014 and was determined to have lapsed into the public domain. If you are the author and have questions about the digitization of your work, please contact Kari Brick, Graduate Program Coordinator for the Institute of Optics, at kbrick@ur.rochester.edu. Other contact information for the Institute is available at http://www.optics.rochester.eduThis study deals with a method of examining the intensity distribution produced by a strongly aberrated wavefront (of the order of 100 wavelengths) in the image plane and its near surroundings. Derivation of the intensity distribution by means of numerical integration methods appears impractical due to the rapid variations of the complex amplitude of the optical field in the exit pupil. The mathematical terms are too complex. An alternative approach to finding the distribution of intensity is introduced here; it is based on the correlation of the results obtained from the theory of Asymptotic Expansion with the fringe pattern produced by inserting the lens system into an interferometer. A wavelength of .5μ, together with a f/5 system were used in order to extract the necessary tabulations. 100 waves of optical path difference between the reference sphere and the aberrated wavefront at the edge of the exit pupil were considered. This study is an effort to provide theoretical support for the laboratory practice of estimating the amplitude of the light wave at various points in image space from the fringe free areas observed when the lens is tested in an interferometer. The study was suggested by Prof. R.E. Hopkins