The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope: opto-mechanical design and architecture

Andrew J. Young; Roger Angel; Chad Bender; Joel Berkson; Peter Gray; Samuel Halverson; Hyukmo Kang; Daewook Kim; Andy Monson; Chang Jin Oh; Matthew Rademacher; Christian Schwab; Dennis Zaritsky

doi:10.1117/12.2629330

The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope: opto-mechanical design and architecture

Andrew J. Young, Roger Angel, Chad Bender, Joel Berkson, Peter Gray, Samuel Halverson, Hyukmo Kang, Daewook Kim, Andy Monson, Chang Jin Oh, Matthew Rademacher, Christian Schwab, Dennis Zaritsky

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper describes the preliminary mechanical design and optomechanics of LFAST, the Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope. The 1,200 m2 array comprises 132, open air, alt-az tracking mounts, each carrying 20 small coaligned telescopes in a 5 m square U-shaped space frame about a central, dual-axis worm drive. Each unit telescope has a 0.76 m, f/3.5 mirror, a prime focus assembly with field corrector and a guide camera, and feeds a 17um, 1.3 arcsecond optical fiber. LFAST was designed specifically as a fiber fed spectroscopic telescope. By being built from thousands of mass-produced components it will be much cheaper per square meter of collecting area than phased monolithic telescopes currently under construction, like GMT and ELT. Cost effective dome-less operation is made possible by the structural design that maximizes stiffness and active compensation for wind induced jitter. The primary mirrors are protected when not in use by sub-horizon pointing of tracking mount and mirror covers.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX
Editors	Heather K. Marshall, Jason Spyromilio, Tomonori Usuda
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510653450
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629330
State	Published - 2022
Event	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX 2022 - Montreal, United States Duration: Jul 17 2022 → Jul 22 2022

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	12182

Conference

Conference	Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX 2022
Country/Territory	United States
City	Montreal
Period	7/17/22 → 7/22/22

Keywords

Array Telescope
LFAST
Optomechanical Design
Passive Support
Whiffle Tree

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1117/12.2629330

Cite this

Young, A. J., Angel, R., Bender, C., Berkson, J., Gray, P., Halverson, S., Kang, H., Kim, D., Monson, A., Oh, C. J., Rademacher, M., Schwab, C., & Zaritsky, D. (2022). The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope: opto-mechanical design and architecture. In H. K. Marshall, J. Spyromilio, & T. Usuda (Eds.), Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX Article 121824B (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 12182). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629330

The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope: opto-mechanical design and architecture. / Young, Andrew J.; Angel, Roger; Bender, Chad et al.
Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX. ed. / Heather K. Marshall; Jason Spyromilio; Tomonori Usuda. SPIE, 2022. 121824B (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 12182).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Young, AJ, Angel, R, Bender, C, Berkson, J, Gray, P, Halverson, S, Kang, H, Kim, D, Monson, A, Oh, CJ, Rademacher, M, Schwab, C & Zaritsky, D 2022, The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope: opto-mechanical design and architecture. in HK Marshall, J Spyromilio & T Usuda (eds), Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX., 121824B, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 12182, SPIE, Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX 2022, Montreal, United States, 7/17/22. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629330

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abstract = "This paper describes the preliminary mechanical design and optomechanics of LFAST, the Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope. The 1,200 m2 array comprises 132, open air, alt-az tracking mounts, each carrying 20 small coaligned telescopes in a 5 m square U-shaped space frame about a central, dual-axis worm drive. Each unit telescope has a 0.76 m, f/3.5 mirror, a prime focus assembly with field corrector and a guide camera, and feeds a 17um, 1.3 arcsecond optical fiber. LFAST was designed specifically as a fiber fed spectroscopic telescope. By being built from thousands of mass-produced components it will be much cheaper per square meter of collecting area than phased monolithic telescopes currently under construction, like GMT and ELT. Cost effective dome-less operation is made possible by the structural design that maximizes stiffness and active compensation for wind induced jitter. The primary mirrors are protected when not in use by sub-horizon pointing of tracking mount and mirror covers.",

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author = "Young, {Andrew J.} and Roger Angel and Chad Bender and Joel Berkson and Peter Gray and Samuel Halverson and Hyukmo Kang and Daewook Kim and Andy Monson and Oh, {Chang Jin} and Matthew Rademacher and Christian Schwab and Dennis Zaritsky",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by the generosity of Eric and Wendy Schmidt, by recommendation of the Schmidt Futures program. Thanks to Ruben Dominguez who contributed towards the design of the primary mirror support structure and Eric Williams who aided in the conceptual development of the whiffletree and for his insights into error analysis. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 SPIE.; Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX 2022 ; Conference date: 17-07-2022 Through 22-07-2022",

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N2 - This paper describes the preliminary mechanical design and optomechanics of LFAST, the Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope. The 1,200 m2 array comprises 132, open air, alt-az tracking mounts, each carrying 20 small coaligned telescopes in a 5 m square U-shaped space frame about a central, dual-axis worm drive. Each unit telescope has a 0.76 m, f/3.5 mirror, a prime focus assembly with field corrector and a guide camera, and feeds a 17um, 1.3 arcsecond optical fiber. LFAST was designed specifically as a fiber fed spectroscopic telescope. By being built from thousands of mass-produced components it will be much cheaper per square meter of collecting area than phased monolithic telescopes currently under construction, like GMT and ELT. Cost effective dome-less operation is made possible by the structural design that maximizes stiffness and active compensation for wind induced jitter. The primary mirrors are protected when not in use by sub-horizon pointing of tracking mount and mirror covers.

AB - This paper describes the preliminary mechanical design and optomechanics of LFAST, the Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope. The 1,200 m2 array comprises 132, open air, alt-az tracking mounts, each carrying 20 small coaligned telescopes in a 5 m square U-shaped space frame about a central, dual-axis worm drive. Each unit telescope has a 0.76 m, f/3.5 mirror, a prime focus assembly with field corrector and a guide camera, and feeds a 17um, 1.3 arcsecond optical fiber. LFAST was designed specifically as a fiber fed spectroscopic telescope. By being built from thousands of mass-produced components it will be much cheaper per square meter of collecting area than phased monolithic telescopes currently under construction, like GMT and ELT. Cost effective dome-less operation is made possible by the structural design that maximizes stiffness and active compensation for wind induced jitter. The primary mirrors are protected when not in use by sub-horizon pointing of tracking mount and mirror covers.

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The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope: opto-mechanical design and architecture

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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