Paper 13094-26
Thermal stabilization of the Large Millimeter Telescope
Abstract
External environmental conditions lead to thermal deformations of the primary reflector of the 50-m diameter Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano (LMT). This paper describes efforts to improve the night-time performance of the telescope at millimeter-wavelengths and allow extension of scientific observations into daylight hours, using the LMT’s active surface to counteract the effects of thermal gradients within the antenna structure. Several approaches to stabilizing the LMT’s thermal behavior will be described, including operation of a ventilation system in the antenna backup structure and a real-time metrology system to measure and correct large-scale, thermally induced, surface deformations.
Presenter
Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst (United States)
F. Peter Schloerb is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is the Project Director of UMass Amherst's participation in the Large Millimeter Telescope Project, and the leader of the effort to improve the antenna performance of the LMT.