If all the mirrors were in place, the full title would be The geometric theory of reflective optics, emphasizing the design of imaging systems from near normal to grazing incidence . Mirrors have traditionally been the neglected little sister of lenses in the field of optics, but the growing interest in infrared optics and large optical systems is bringing them out of the shadows. A unified theory for the entire range of all reflective systems is presented, starting from the single postulate of Fermat's principle, and slogging through the tedious but necessary long derivations and complex mathematical expressions, and focusing on a few possible applications. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
This is the first book dedicated exclusively to all-reflective imaging systems. It is a teaching tool as well as a practical design tool for anyone who specializes in optics, particularly for those interested in telescopes, infrared, and grazing-incidence systems. The first part of the book describes a unified geometric optical theory of all-reflective imaging systems (from near-normal to grazing incidence) developed from basic principles. The second part discusses correction methods and a multitude of closed-form solutions of well-corrected systems, supplemented with many conventional and unconventional designs examples. This book will be useful to anyone interested in the theory of optical image formation and in the actual design of image-forming instruments.
