Optomechanical design of Altair, the Gemini adaptive optics system

Scott C. Roberts; Gurjeet Singh

doi:10.1117/12.321627

11 September 1998 Optomechanical design of Altair, the Gemini adaptive optics system

Scott C. Roberts, Gurjeet Singh

Proceedings Volume 3353, Adaptive Optical System Technologies; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.321627
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 1998, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

Altair, the Gemini Adaptive Optics System, is currently being developed for use a the Cassegrain focus of the northern Gemini 8-meter Telescope, located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The Altair mechanical design must meet strict mass, center of gravity and volume constraints while providing a highly stable optical bench assembly, and housing and thermally controlling a large set of electronics. The optical bench design for Altair has been developed in tandem with the optical tolerance analysis to ensure that the structure could support the most sensitive optics within specification over the full range of gravity vector and temperature encountered. In turn,the optical tolerance budget was reallocated to better match the predicted mechanical performance of each optical element in the system. Although the system will initially be implemented with a natural guide star wavefront sensor, an upgrade path for a laser guide star wavefront sensor is being incorporated in the system design.

Citation Download Citation

Scott C. Roberts and Gurjeet Singh "Optomechanical design of Altair, the Gemini adaptive optics system", Proc. SPIE 3353, Adaptive Optical System Technologies, (11 September 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.321627

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