ISBN: 3-540-60356-5
TITLE: Reflecting Telescope Optics II
AUTHOR: Wilson, Raymond N.
TOC:

1. Manufacture and test procedures 1 
1.1 Introduction and acknowledgements 1 
1.2 Grinding, polishing and figuring technology 1 
1.2.1 Background of optical surface working 1 
1.2.2 Lapping techniques 2 
1.3 Test technology 46 
1.3.1 General aspects of test technology development 46 
1.3.2 Interferometers 46 
1.3.3 Test procedures other than interferometry 74 
1.3.4 Null (compensation) systems 76 
1.3.5 Test systems for Cassegrain secondary mirrors 86 
1.3.6 Test methods for large flats 101 
2. Sensitivities, alignment of telescopes 
and test procedures in function 105 
2.1 Sensitivities 105 
2.1.1 Decentering errors 105 
2.1.2 Despace errors 109 
2.2 Alignment and adjustment of telescopes 111 
2.2.1 General theoretical principles of telescope alignment 111 
2.2.2 General set-up situation and definition 
of the aims of alignment 122 
2.2.3 Alignment at the prime focus of telescopes 
with field corrector 130 
2.2.4 Alignment of Schmidt telescopes 130 
2.2.5 Field correctors at the Cassegrain focus 131 
2.3 Test methods and image analysis of telescopes in function 131 
2.3.1 Classical qualitative methods 131 
2.3.2 "Pupil plates": geometrical assessments 
of defocused star images 133 
2.3.3 Hartmann-based techniques 144 
2.3.4 Curvature sensing: the Roddier test 161 
2.3.5 Other methods of testing the optical quality 
of telescopes in function 166 
3. Modern telescope developments: 
pupil segmentation and techniques to reduce mass 169 
3.1 Evolution and revolution in telescope optics 169 
3.2 Examples of modern projects using the technologies 
of Table 3.3 175 
3.2.1 Direct segmentation with a filled aperture 175 
3.2.2 Separate telescopes with monolithic primaries 
on a single mount (MMT-type indirect segmentation) 186 
3.2.3 Other large telescope projects 
using lightweighted monolithic blanks 192 
3.2.4 Projects with thin-meniscus flexible primaries, 
controlled actively, or of stiff composites 199 
3.3 Blank production for new technology telescopes 216 
3.3.1 General considerations and physical properties 216 
3.3.2 Glass ceramic blank production 223 
3.3.3 Fused quartz (silica) blank production 225 
3.3.4 Modern blank production 
with BSC (borosilicate) glass (Pyrex) 227 
3.3.5 Modern blank production in metal 231 
3.3.6 Compacted powder, sintered 
or vapour-deposited materials for blanks 238 
3.3.7 Lightweight composite materials for blanks 240 
3.3.8 Liquid mirror telescopes (Hg) 240 
3.4 Mirror support systems in modern telescopes. 242 
3.4.1 The basic laws of axial supports for mirrors 242 
3.4.2 Modern work on the theory of mirror supports: 
axial support solutions 253 
3.4.3 Lateral (radial) supports for mirrors 259 
3.4.4 Mirror handling 272 
3.5 Active optics control systems 274 
3.5.1 Introduction and definitions 274 
3.5.2 The principles of the ESO active optics system, 
as developed for the 3.5 m NTT 279 
3.5.3 Operational results for the ESO 3.5 m NTT 
and conclusions from its performance 291 
3.5.4 Extension of the active optics system 
to the ESO 8 m VLT 298 
3.5.5 Other active optics developments in current projects 304 
3.5.6 Conclusions on the current state of development 
and future potential of active optics in telescopes 313 
3.6 Local environmental aspects of telescopes 314 
3.6.1 Definition of "local air" and its importance 314 
3.6.2 Recent evolution in telescope enclosures 
and "local air" error measurements 
in functioning telescopes 318 
3.6.3 Other recent investigations by laboratory experiment 
or theory: mirror seeing 327 
3.6.4 Further work on "dome seeing" in general 338 
3.6.5 General conclusions on local air seeing and enclosures 343 
3.7 Optical data of the major ground-based telescope projects 
using new technology 345 
4. Image quality specification and optical efficiency criteria 349 
4.1 Classical specification criteria: geometrical angular 
or wavefront aberration 349 
4.2 Specifications for modern ground-based telescope projects 353 
4.3 Optical efficiency criteria 367 
5. Atmospheric optics, adaptive optics, telescope quality 
for interferometry 373 
5.1 Atmospheric optics 373 
5.1.1 Atmospheric refraction and atmospheric dispersion 374 
5.1.2 Atmospheric turbulence ("seeing") 376 
5.2 Adaptive optics 396 
5.2.1 Definitions and aims: active and adaptive optics 396 
5.2.2 The principles of adaptive optics 398 
5.2.3 Practical systems for adaptive optics 
in astronomical telescopes 403 
5.2.4 Limitations of the isoplanatic patch: 
artificial reference sources 409 
5.2.5 Adaptive optics for the ESO VLT 
and experimental correction results 
(COME-ON and COME-ON PLUS systems) 413 
5.2.6 Adaptive optics using laser reference sources 
for military purposes applicable to astronomy 416 
5.3 Site selection in height 418 
5.4 High resolution imaging apart from adaptive optics 420 
5.4.1 Michelson interferometry 420 
5.4.2 Speckle interferometry 421 
6. Mirror Reflecting Coats: Production and Cleaning 423 
6.1 Introduction: evolution to the current situation 423 
6.2 Modern perspectives for reflecting coatings 430 
6.2.1 Multi-coat enhancement of reflecting coats 430 
6.2.2 Silver reflecting coat with single protecting coat 
and other recent developments 434 
6.2.3 Cleaning and maintenance of reflecting coats 442 
6.2.4 Summary448 
7. Adapters and beam combination aspects, baffles 449 
7.1 Adapters 449 
7.1.1 Background of adapter development 449 
7.1.2 The adapter for the ESO 3.5 m NTT (Nasmyth focus) 450 
7.1.3 The adapters for the VLT 8 m unit telescopes 456 
7.1.4 Beam combination aspects 458 
7.1.5 Mountings and field rotation 459 
7.2 Baffles 459 
8. Maintenance and operation of telescope optics 469 
8.1 Ground-based telescopes 469 
8.2 Space telescopes 474 
Appendix: Mathematical symbols 475 
References 477 
List of figures 499 
List of tables 515 
Name index 519 
Subject index 525 
END
