The Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) project

Details The Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) project The Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) project

Jul 1990

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990spie.1235..503m&link_type=abstract

IN: Instrumentation in astronomy VII; Proceedings of the Meeting, Tucson, AZ, Feb. 13-17, 1990 (A91-29601 11-35). Bellingham, WA

Computer Science

Performance

8

Cassegrain Antennas, Performance Prediction, Radio Astronomy, Sandwich Structures, Submillimeter Waves, Telescopes, Composite Materials, Thermal Control Coatings

Scientific paper

To exploit the potential of submillimeter astronomy, the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) will be located at an altitude of 3178 meters on Emerald Peak 75 miles northeast of Tucson in Southern Arizona. The instrument is an altazimuth mounted f/13.8 Cassegrain homology telescope with two Nasmyth and bent Cassegrain foci. It will have diffraction limited performance at a wavelength of 300 microns and an operating overall figure accuracy of 15 microns rms. An important feature of the SMT is the construction of the primary and secondary reflectors out of aluminum-core CFRP face sheet sandwich panels, and the reflector backup structure and secondary support out of CFRP structural elements. This modern technology provides both a means for reaching the required precision of the SMT for both night and day operation (basically because of the low coefficient of thermal expansion and high strength-to-weight ratio of CFRP) and a potential route for the realization of lightweight telescopes of even greater accuracy in the future. The SMT will be the highest accuracy radio telescope ever built (at least a factor of 2 more accurate than existing telescopes). In addition, the SMT will be the first 10 m-class submillimeter telescope with a surface designed for efficient measurements at the important 350 microns wavelength atmospheric window.

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