LAPCAT: the Large Antarctic Plateau Clear-Aperture Telescope

John Storey; Roger Angel; Jon Lawrence; Phil Hinz; Michael Ashley; Michael Burton

doi:10.1117/12.672159

23 June 2006 LAPCAT: the Large Antarctic Plateau Clear-Aperture Telescope

John Storey, Roger Angel, Jon Lawrence, Phil Hinz, Michael Ashley, Michael Burton

Proceedings Volume 6267, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes; 62671E (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.672159
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

We present a proposal for an 8.4 metre off-axis optical/IR telescope to be located at Dome C, Antarctica. LAPCAT will use a mirror identical to the offset segment recently cast for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) as a completely unobscured f/2.1 primary. With a cooled deformable Gregorian secondary in a dewar following prime focus, LAPCAT will allow for diffraction-limited imaging with only a single reflecting surface at ~220K, and thus the lowest possible thermal background obtainable on earth. The exceptionally low atmospheric turbulence above Dome C enables very high contrast imaging in the thermal infrared, and diffraction limited imaging extending to optical wavelengths (20 mas at 800 nm, where Strehl ratios > 60% are projected). As an example, a deep 5 μm exoplanet imaging survey to complement current radial velocity methods could take advantage of both the low background and pupil remapping methods for apodization enabled by the clear aperture. Many new, young, giant planets (≥ 3M_J at 1 Gyr) would be detected in orbits ≥ 5 AU out to 20 pc. By providing a test bed for many of the GMT technologies in an Antarctic environment, LAPCAT also paves the way for the eventual construction of a second GMT at Dome C. Such a telescope would have unparalleled capabilities compared both to other ELTs in temperate sites and to JWST.

Citation Download Citation

John Storey, Roger Angel, Jon Lawrence, Phil Hinz, Michael Ashley, and Michael Burton "LAPCAT: the Large Antarctic Plateau Clear-Aperture Telescope", Proc. SPIE 6267, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes, 62671E (23 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.672159

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