Steward Observatory Mirror Lab

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Secondary Mirror Facility

This Mirror Lab exhibit shows a prototype ultra-thin glass membrane (~1.7 mm thick, diameter 65 cm) that was transported by Federal Express from the Mirror Lab to Lockheed Martin Company's plant in Sunnyvale, CA.

Subsequently, it was shake tested at 7g's and then shipped back to Tucson, all in one piece.

Mirrors of this type have two important applications, one is as primary mirrors in space and the other is on the ground as secondary mirrors in adaptive optics systems.

One such mirror, 65 cm diameter, is in operation on the 6.5-m MMT (Mt. Hopkins, AZ).

It utilizes 336 actuators that are magnetically coupled to the back surface of the secondary mirror.

All 336 actuators correct for wavefront distortions at 550 Hz.

At a wavelength of ~ 1-5 microns, images with a resolution of ~ 0.06 arc sec have been achieved.

Click to Download video of AO in action

Site Designed and Maintained by: Peter Wehinger

Text: Jim Burge, J. M. Hill, Buddy Martin, and Peter Wehinger
Graphics: Lori Stiles, Peter Wehinger, John Hill, Ray Bertram, Steve Miller, Evan Richards, J. Peter Van Duyne, and Rod Carender

Last Modified: 11:29:37 AM MST Oct 16 2009

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