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V. Krabbendam, C.F. Claver, L. Daggert, J. Sebag, D.R. Neill, R. Gomez (NOAO), J.H. Burge, R. Tessieries, W. Davison, B. Cuerden (U. Arizona)
The proposed Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) has an 8.4 meter aperture with a 3.5 degree diameter field of view and must meet the challenging cadence requirements necessary to perform the LSST survey mission. The telescope optical system is based on a Paul-Baker three element design with a single captured focus for the dedicated instrument. The large mirrors, 8.4 m diameter primary, 3.2 m secondary, and 5.0 m tertiary, and the large 65 cm diameter focal plane camera are supported by a rigid steel structure with active control of alignment and mirror support. Analysis has demonstrated that wavefront information taken at multiple field positions within the focal plane can be used unambiguously to control the alignment of all components and the optical figures of the three large mirrors. A significant challenge for the Telescope design is the slew and settle requirement of 3 degrees in 5 seconds with subsequent moves every 30 seconds. Previous structural and thermal studies have been used to refine the telescope design. The structure has been designed to exhibit a first structural mode of nearly 10 hz. fully loaded with the optical system, the camera and anticipated parasitic masses in place. The LSST telescope development continues in concert with the parallel development of all aspects of the entire LSST Project.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.