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Article
A Rigorous Analysis Using Optimal Transport Theory for a Two-reflector Design Problem with a Point Source
Inverse Problems
  • Tilmann Glimm, Western Washington University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2010
Keywords
  • Reflector design,
  • Geometric optics,
  • Optimal transportation
Disciplines
Abstract

We consider the following geometric optics problem: construct a system of two reflectors which transforms a spherical wavefront generated by a point source into a beam of parallel rays. This beam has a prescribed intensity distribution. We give a rigorous analysis of this problem. The reflectors we construct are (parts of) the boundaries of convex sets. We prove existence of solutions for a large class of input data and give a uniqueness result. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first time that a rigorous mathematical analysis of this problem is given. The approach is based on optimal transportation theory. It yields a practical algorithm for finding the reflectors. Namely, the problem is equivalent to a constrained linear optimization problem.

DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0266-5611/26/4/045001
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Geometrical optics; Reflectors, Lighting--Mathematical models; Mappings (Mathematics)
Genre/Form
articles
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Tilmann Glimm. "A Rigorous Analysis Using Optimal Transport Theory for a Two-reflector Design Problem with a Point Source" Inverse Problems Vol. 26 Iss. 045001 (2010)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tilmann_glimm/10/