The quad-mirror optical telescope concept for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer

Samuel C. Barden

doi:10.1117/12.3020644

11 September 2024 The quad-mirror optical telescope concept for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer

Samuel C. Barden

Proceedings Volume 13094, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X; 1309436 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020644
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Conference Poster

Abstract

A quad-mirror (QM) telescope optical concept has been designed for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) project. The goal of MSE is to repurpose the existing Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope (CFHT) site without changing the footprint of the observatory. This repurposing imposes numerous constraints on the telescope, including space constraints limiting the size of the telescope and the space available for the large number of spectrographs required, dimensional constraints (limits the size of any monolithic mirrors), and mass limits along with other logistical constraints that wouldn't necessarily exist for a facility designed from first principals. The QM concept offers several scientific and versatility advantages over the original prime focus baseline, but it poses some challenges, such as the size of the tertiary mirror. This design serves as input into the effort to understand how best to implement a QM design and to determine if there are any arising hard showstoppers for use in MSE. An overview of the optical design is presented with its benefits, areas of compromise to meet currently known constraints, and evaluation of preliminary optical sensitivities and metrology needs.

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Samuel C. Barden "The quad-mirror optical telescope concept for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer", Proc. SPIE 13094, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes X, 1309436 (11 September 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020644

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