Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Apr 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994apj...424l.139s&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 424, no. 2, p. L139-L141
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
6
Optical Materials, Optical Measuring Instruments, Radio Astronomy, Ripples, Sky Surveys (Astronomy), Telescopes, Aberration, Diameters, Magnetic Fields, Stellar Magnitude, Zenith
Scientific paper
Liquid mirror optical telescopes use rotating mercury to form precise paraboloidal primary reflectors. These telescopes, which represent an inexpensive alternative to traditional telescopes, to date have been limited in their sky coverage to a small viewing area (typically 1/4 sq. deg) centered on the zenith. We propose to increase the sky coverage area of a mercury optical telescope by at least two orders of magnitude, using the same concept as that employed in the 305 m diameter radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, which has a spherical primary reflector. We have shown that it should be possible to deflect a 2.65 m diameter f/1.9 rotating mercury paraboloid into a precise spherical shape, by using ferrofluid mercury in a carefully tailored magnetic field. The 10 deg x 10 deg sky coverage of such a telescope could make it the instrument of choice in a number of astronomical observing programs.
Shuter William L. H.
Whitehead Lorne A.
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