When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using the formula $\varTheta\varpropto\lambda$/D,the variable D stands for the:
A) diameter of the telescopes
B) separation between the telescopes
C) number of telescopes
D) focal length of the telescopes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The variable D in the formula represents the separation between the telescopes in the interferometric array. This is because the interference pattern produced by the array depends on the phase difference between the signals received by the separate telescopes, which is determined by their separation. The other variables in the formula represent the wavelength of the radiation, the angular size of the object being observed, the sensitivity of the telescopes, and the Fourier transform of the object's brightness distribution.

When We Determine the Angular Resolution of an Interferometric Array Θ∝λ\varTheta\varpropto\lambdaΘ∝λ

When We Determine the Angular Resolution of an Interferometric Array $\varTheta\varpropto\lambda$