INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR MULTI-VECTOR RAYTRACING IN ELLIPSOIDAL REFLECTORS

Abstract

Due to two focuses, ellipsoidal reflectors are unique reflective optical elements that allow conjugate imaging in two focal planes within their inner cavity. Such reflectors are used in various devices, such as lens telescopes, to achieve high resolution. They have found applications in microscope optical systems to increase the depth of field. They are used in scientific instruments, such as laser systems, to ensure the laser beam's high accuracy and stability. Despite their advantages, the non-spherical shape of ellipsoidal reflectors also introduces drawbacks in the form of errors arising from raytracing on the side surface. It complicates aberration analysis and necessitates specialized software for multi-vector ray tracing. Considering the deviations in the coordinates of the intersections between rays and the second focal plane allows for optimizing the reflector design to achieve maximum efficiency. Therefore, this work aims to enhance the efficiency of the aberration analysis of ellipsoidal reflectors by developing principles and informational tools for multi-vector ray tracing.
 The article presents the results of developing an information system for multi-vector analysis in ellipsoidal reflectors. The developed multi-vector algorithm enables selecting tracing modes, tuning launch parameters, and setting the step size for launching rays. The specialized software features for single- and multi-vector raytracing in an ellipsoidal reflector are presented. The side surface of the ellipsoid is the object under study. The software provides the capability to realize different methods of multi-vector ray tracing, such as radius-based, diameter-based, and partial radius-based, for different types of tasks, thereby expanding the possibilities for visualizing the simulation results.
 Based on the multi-vector aberration analysis of the side surface of the ellipsoidal reflector, the center coordinates and root mean square deviations were obtained for different reflection acts when changing the zenith angle of tracing. The influence of zenith angles on coordinate variations was assessed, which can be realized in selecting parameters for ellipsoidal reflectors and designing the optical system of photometers for various purposes. It can also aid in developing additional means to compensate for aberrations or modify the reflector's side surface shape.