Averaging over the foveal receptor aperture curtails aliasing.
We show that the entrance aperture of the foveal cone is about 80% of the 3 micron center-to-center spacing. Reduction in contrast caused by averaging of illumination over this aperture prompts us to predict detection with aliasing between the Nyquist limit of 60 c/deg (where contrast reduction is 63%) and 150 c/deg (where contrast is zero) when the eye's optics are bypassed by impressing interference fringes directly on the fovea.
D000818:Animals; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity