- #1
JSapit
- 34
- 0
Minimum Resolution Angle Problem
The radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has a reflecting spherical bowl of 295 m diameter. Radio signals can be received and emitted at various frequencies with appropriate antennae at the focal point of the reflecting bowl. At a frequency of 300 MHz, what is the angle between two stars that can barely be resolved?
(The answer is supposed to be in mrads)
(theta)min=1.22(lambda)/d
Lambda=(3.0E8)/(frequency)
I tried converting the frequency to wavelength, and then plugging the wavelength, which I found to be 1m, and the given information into the first equation that I wrote down. The answer that I entered, .004136, wasn't correct, so I'm not sure if it's a wrong unit conversion, or I'm doing this wrong. First off, is the answer that I found in degrees? If it is, then would I need to convert it to radians? Secondly, what do they mean by mrads? Is it milli-radians?
Thank you.
Homework Statement
The radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has a reflecting spherical bowl of 295 m diameter. Radio signals can be received and emitted at various frequencies with appropriate antennae at the focal point of the reflecting bowl. At a frequency of 300 MHz, what is the angle between two stars that can barely be resolved?
(The answer is supposed to be in mrads)
Homework Equations
(theta)min=1.22(lambda)/d
Lambda=(3.0E8)/(frequency)
The Attempt at a Solution
I tried converting the frequency to wavelength, and then plugging the wavelength, which I found to be 1m, and the given information into the first equation that I wrote down. The answer that I entered, .004136, wasn't correct, so I'm not sure if it's a wrong unit conversion, or I'm doing this wrong. First off, is the answer that I found in degrees? If it is, then would I need to convert it to radians? Secondly, what do they mean by mrads? Is it milli-radians?
Thank you.
Last edited:
