Derive the optical path length of the incident light

kpl
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I have been asked to write down the taylor expansion for two concentric spherical surfaces with radii r1 and r2 of a lens and mirror combination which I think is called a Mangin Mirror.

It is supposed to be related to the x and y-axis positions.

Also, I have been asked to derive the optical path length of the incident light being reflected back to the surface of the lens with radius r1.

I don't know were to start for either question.

Any ideas would be much appreciated!
 
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What is the application? Is this homework?
 
kpl said:
I have been asked to write down the taylor expansion

Of what?

for two concentric spherical surfaces with radii r1 and r2 of a lens and mirror combination which I think is called a Mangin Mirror.

Is this like figure C-4 on the following page?

http://www.jmloptical.com/level2/ProductInfo/m_spherical_info.aspx

(found via a Google search for "Mangin mirror")

It is supposed to be related to the x and y-axis positions.

Again, of what?
 
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Optics reply

Exactly like the C-4 diagram.
Let z1(y) and z2(y) be the expressions for the two surfaces of the lens in Figure 1 (see attachment) respectively. Write down the Taylor expansions of z1 and z2 to the fourth power of y.
 

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To solve this, I first used the units to work out that a= m* a/m, i.e. t=z/λ. This would allow you to determine the time duration within an interval section by section and then add this to the previous ones to obtain the age of the respective layer. However, this would require a constant thickness per year for each interval. However, since this is most likely not the case, my next consideration was that the age must be the integral of a 1/λ(z) function, which I cannot model.
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