| the branch of optics that compensates for image distortions, esp. by means of flexible mirrors or membranes. |
| Main Entry: | adaptive optics |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a process which compensates for image distortions in telescopes caused by the atmosphere etc., esp. by use of flexible membranes or mirrors |
| Example: | In adaptive optics, a wavefront sensor uses a reference star to measure the distortions that are occurring and the distortions are then removed with a phase corrector. |
| Usage: | optics |