Wanted, an optical analysis for the secondary mirror of a band-arc telescopes.

The Band-Arc Telescope.

Brian Dodson's results from this zomb have been highly successful, resulting in what is possibly a new design for very-high-resolution telescopes. Here is the original brief:

"Modern large astronomical telescopes depend on light being reflected from a large circular mirror onto a small secondary mirror and thence to an eyepiece or camera. Calculations are wanted for the optics of conformation of the secondary mirror of a band-arc telescope. Here the primary mirror is simply a relatively narrow flat arc of circular or parabolic cross-section, and the secondary mirror needs to 'correct' for this. It should be possible to construct band-arc telescopes 20 metres or more wide, these would have excellent resolution, although reduced light-gathering capacity. In the present instance, calculations are sought for a proof-of-concept instrument where the primary mirror is a 90-degree section, 10 cm wide, of a 1-metre-diameter circle."

Using a linked array of band-arc telescopes (possibly in space) should allow any desired degree of resolution to be attained, just by increasing the number of instruments in the linked array. This may allow exoplanets discs to be viewed.