A telescope can be used to enlarge the diameter of a laser beam and limit diffraction spreading. The laser beam is sent through the telescope in opposite the normal direction and can then be projected onto a satellite or the Moon. (a)
If this is done with the Mount Wilson telescope, producing a 2.53 m diameter beam of 636 nm light, what is the minimum angular spread of the beam in radians?
rad
(b)
Neglecting atmospheric effects, what is the diameter in meters of the spot this beam would make on the Moon, assuming a lunar distance of 3.84 ✕ 108 m?
m