Manufacture of 8.4 m off-axis segments: A 1/5 scale demonstration

H. M. Martin, J. H. Burge, B. Cuerden, S. M. Miller, B. Smith, C. Zhao

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe the requirements for manufacturing and maintaining alignment of the 8.4 m off-axis segments of the Giant Magellan Telescope's primary mirror, and a demonstration of the manufacturing techniques on the 1.7 m off-axis primary mirror of the New Solar Telescope. This mirror is approximately a 1/5 scale model of a GMT segment. We show that the stressed lap polishing system developed for highly aspheric primary and secondary mirrors is capable of figuring the GMT segments and the NST mirror. We describe an optical test with a null corrector consisting of a tilted spherical mirror and a computer-generated hologram, and derive accuracy requirements for the test. The criterion for accuracy of low-order aberrations is that the active support system can correct any figure errors due to the laboratory measurement, with acceptably small forces and residual errors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)62-70
Number of pages9
JournalProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume5494
DOIs
StatePublished - 2004
EventOptical Fabrication, Metrology, and Materials Advancements for Telescopes - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Duration: Jun 24 2004Jun 25 2004

Keywords

  • Aspheres
  • Optical fabrication
  • Optical testing
  • Telescopes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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