Replication as an alternative approach for large segmented telescopes

Melville P. Ulmer; Michael Edward Graham; Semyon Vanyman; Steven J. Varlese; Dean Baker

doi:10.1117/12.566322

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7 July 2004 Replication as an alternative approach for large segmented telescopes

Melville P. Ulmer, Michael Edward Graham, Semyon Vanyman, Steven J. Varlese, Dean Baker

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Proceedings Volume 5382, Second Backaskog Workshop on Extremely Large Telescopes; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.566322
Event: Second Backaskog Workshop on Extremely Large Telescopes, 2003, Backaskog, Sweden

Abstract

The next generation of optical/IR telescopes will require large numbers of co-phased mirror segments. Therefore, some form of replication technology is desirable to reduce costs. Electroforming has the advantage that it is a commercially developed technology for replication, and the technology has been widely used for making X-ray mirrors (e.g. XMM-Newton). Composite materials are appealing, since a great deal of development work has been done with composites as well. There are 3 areas that need to be addressed: replication with minimal stress so as to produce a high quality figure; attachment of support of the mirror segment so as to maintain the figure quality; thermal control requirements. Here we present a discussion of the requirements that lead us to select replication as the fabrication technology and the advantages of replication. We report on our first results of making a concave and flat mirrors.

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Melville P. Ulmer, Michael Edward Graham, Semyon Vanyman, Steven J. Varlese, and Dean Baker "Replication as an alternative approach for large segmented telescopes", Proc. SPIE 5382, Second Backaskog Workshop on Extremely Large Telescopes, (7 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.566322

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