Lighter Side of Adaptive Optics - Softcover

Robert K. Tyson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0819475610 ISBN 13: 9780819475619

Publisher: SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering, 2009

Synopsis

Adaptive optics has been under development for well over 40 years. It is an indisputable necessity for all major ground-based astronomical telescopes and is the foundation for laser and wavefront sensor design. Lighter Side of Adaptive Optics is a nontechnical explanation of optics, the atmosphere, and the technology for 'untwinkling' the stars. While interweaving a fictional romantic relationship as an analogy to adaptive optics, and inserting satire, humor, and philosophical rants, Tyson brings a difficult scientific topic to its knees. The 'why' and 'how' of adaptive optics has never been more enjoyable.

Contents

- Foreword
- Love is in the Air
- The Atmosphere Has Gas
- Adaptive Optics Systems and Some Cool Things about Light Beams
- Clever Wavefront Sensors
- Laser Guide Stars, the Beacons in the Night
- Mirrors that Get Bent Out of Shape
- Computers That Shouldn't Crash
- Other Ways to Do It
- Putting the System Together
- Getting the Blasted Thing to Work Right or Even Work at All
- Fun with Shining Lasers into Your Eyes
- A Happy Ending
- Backword: The Leslie B. Smythe Story
- Bibliography (Some other books about adaptive optics that aren't nearly as funny as this one)
- Index

About this title

Review

Robert Tyson's numerous puns and anecdotes form a continuous stream of silliness that made me laugh and wonder what was coming next ... The technical discussions on adaptive optics are not too deep, but they are really perfect for this type of book. In a very entertaining way, he describes the fundamentals of the technology. For people who are not too technical, it is very understandable, and for people with a background in the science it's still a fun read. --Josh Cobb, Optical systems designer and coauthor of Light Action! Amazing Experiments with Optics

This book is fun, it is memorable and it represents superb teaching; of course the aspiring professional will need one of Tyson s many other books with their 1000 or so up-to-date references but Lighter Side awakens the interest and will be part of my library as well as that of my high school. Everything is there in a condensed and accurate form and the power of this technology is evident; it is well indexed and the references are sufficient and up-to-date. It will inspire all who read it and will encourage many to join the field, perhaps even some medics for whom this idea is entirely new and, at least in the eye, has immense power. --R. S. Shorter (2011): Book Review of Lighter Side of Adaptive Optics, by Robert K. Tyson, Contemporary Physics, 52:4, 370 [doi: 10.1080/00107514.2011.558924].

Edition details

• Publisher: SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0819475610
• ISBN 13: 9780819475619
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 122