In-process metrology for large astronomical mirrors

Michael F. Kuechel; Wolfgang Wiedmann

doi:10.1117/12.22814

1 November 1990 In-process metrology for large astronomical mirrors

Michael F. Kuechel, Wolfgang Wiedmann

Proceedings Volume 1333, Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.22814
Event: 34th Annual International Technical Symposium on Optical and Optoelectronic Applied Science and Engineering, 1990, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

From October 1986 to April 1988 Carl Zeiss has fabricated the 3.5m primary mirror of the "New Technology Telescope" (NY!') for the European Southern Observatory (ESO). This was the first time at Carl Zeiss that at no stage of manufacturing a skilled optician was necessary for doing manual corrections on the mirror. In the contrary, all the shaping and fine correction was done by computer controlled machine work. Computerized interferometry was the tool to deliver the necessary data for closing the loop1'2. As a rule of thumb, in a sound fabrication process the logarithm of the rms-values of the remaining figure-errors drops linearly with time. For the LOT (Large Optical Telescope, Iraq) 3.6m-primary mirror with an f-number of 3.5, which was fabricated at Carl Zeiss in a traditional way and finished in 1984, the rms-value was brought down by a factor of two in about 81 days. For the ESO-N1T the time for cutting the rms-value to half was 35 days3. Next month the fabrication of another 3.5m mirror, the primary for the Telescopio Nationale Galileo (TNG), will start. Although the NTE' was a very big success, we have used the time since 1988 to further improve our measuring techniques. First we will report on the metrology applied during fabrication of the NTT, then we will describe the tremendous improvements in resolution and speed now ready for the TNG.

Citation Download Citation

Michael F. Kuechel and Wolfgang Wiedmann "In-process metrology for large astronomical mirrors", Proc. SPIE 1333, Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing, (1 November 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.22814

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