Stray Light: Analysis and Control

Stray light is defined as unwanted light in an optical system, a familiar concept for anyone who has taken a photograph with the sun in or near their camera's field of view. In a low-cost consumer camera, stray light may be only a minor annoyance, but in a space-based telescope, it can result in the loss of data worth millions of dollars. It is imperative that optical system designers understand its consequences on system performance and adapt the design process to control it.
This book addresses stray light terminology, radiometry, and the physics of stray light mechanisms, such as surface roughness scatter and ghost reflections. The most-efficient ways of using stray light analysis software packages are included. The book also demonstrates how the basic principles are applied in the design, fabrication, and testing phases of optical system development.
Contents: Terminology • Basic Radiometry for Stray Light Analysis • Basic Ray Tracing for Stray Light Analysis • Scattering from Optical Surface
Roughness and Coatings • Scattering from Particulate Contaminants • Scattering from Black Surface Treatments • Ghost Reflections, Aperture Diffraction, and Diffraction from Diffractive Optical Elements • Optical Design for Stray Light Control • Baffle and Cold Shield Design • Measurement of BSDF, TIS, and System Stray Light • Stray Light Engineering Process