The Measurement Setup Adjustment Influence on the Optical Polygon Calibration

Angle measurements with dynamic goniometer (DG) can reach the accuracy of hundredths of an arc second. DG can incorporate various types of null indicators for registering the reflecting faces of the optical polygon (OP), which serve as an angle standard. The error sources may vary depending on the method and the type of null indicator used, but the influence of the non-flatness of the reflecting OP faces remains common. A new method for separating angular deviations caused only by changes in non-flatness of the reflecting faces of OP by using DG with autocollimating null indicator is presented. The deviation of the OP pitch angles is estimated when the reflecting area of the OP faces is shifted while all other parameters of the measurement setup remain unaltered. According to the presented method, an experiment was conducted and measurement results are presented.