Abstract
A new class of telescope is being built with primary mirrors as large as 8.4 meters in diameter and as fast as f/1. Fabricating the secondary mirrors for these telescopes has presented tough challenges because of their large sizes, up to 1.7 meter diameter; their aspheric departure of more than 300 microns; the required figure accuracy of a few tens of nanometers; and the fact that they are typically convex and difficult to measure. We have developed tools and techniques to meet these demands to produce secondary mirrors efficiently and accurately. A dedicated facility was constructed in the mirror lab that integrates a 1.8-m stressed-lap polishing machine with interferometric and mechanical measuring systems. This paper presents data from a 1.15-m secondary that was finished in our shop, and from two other large mirrors that are currently being fabricated.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 51-61 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
| Volume | 3134 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1997 |
| Event | Optical Manufacturing and Testing II - San Diego, CA, United States Duration: Jul 27 1997 → Jul 27 1997 |
Keywords
- Aspheres
- Large optics
- Optical fabrication
- Telescope mirrors
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Computer Science Applications
- Applied Mathematics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering