Warren J. Smith

LISA far-field phase patterns

The Laser Interferometry Space Antenna for the detection of Gravitational Waves is a very long baseline interferometer that will measure the changes in the distance of a five million kilometer arm to pico meter accuracies. Knowledge of the phase deviations from a spherical wave and what causes these deviations are needed considerations in the design of the telescope and in determining pointing requirements. Here we present the far field phase deviations from a spherical wave for given Zernike aberrations and obscurations of the exit pupil.