When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using the formula θ ∝ λ/D,the variable D stands for the:
A)diameter of the telescopes
B)separation between the telescopes
C)magnification of the telescopes
D)number of telescopes
E)focal length of the telescopes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula for angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes is θ ∝ λ/D, where λ is the wavelength of the observed radiation and D is the diameter of the array, which is the distance between the telescopes in the array. Therefore, the separation between the telescopes (B) is the variable D in the formula.

When We Determine the Angular Resolution of an Interferometric Array