On March 3, 2021 in Tucson AZ, AOS successfully demonstrated the metrology system they have built to measure the aspheric prescription of the TMT primary mirror segments. This test set uses a full-aperture reference surface and a Fizeau interferometer to measure the curvature of the off-axis segments. This test set will guide the Ion Beam Figuring process which will bring the TMT segments to their final surface figure requirements.
Each TMT segment must be cut into a hexagonal shape and carved at critical dimensions for lodging high precision support components known as the central diaphragm and two edge sensors on each side.
Coherent production facility dedicated to TMT Polishing and Hexing processes.
TMT’s general and emergency lighting system provides illumination of the telescope floors and platforms, telescope access paths and walkways for the specific telescope work areas in the Telescope elevation structure, azimuth structure and fixed structures including the primary mirror cell structure.
Professor Eswar Reddy provided a tour of the new facility and presented an update of the project development to the Vice President of India and several members of Parliament.
The three-story building of nearly 3,600 square meters is a world class optical facility dedicated to TMT primary mirror segments fabrication.
The Vice President of India with distinguished Professors of the India Institute of Astrophysics and India-TMT members participated in the opening ceremony and were guided in viewing the new building on 29 December 2020.
New integration facility for NFIRAOS, TMT first light Adaptive Optics (AO) at NRC-HAA research center in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, where NRC-HAA and industrial subcontractors are developing NFIRAOS. The building will allow the integration and test of NFIRAOS with its first light instrument IRIS. This is illustrated in the top right figure, which shows a CAD rendering of NFIRAOS and IRIS installed in the building.
CAD drawing of three GMS fixed laser trackers (circled orange) mounted on the telescope elevation structure and 3-view drawing of Laser Tracker #1 .
TMT’s fully-automated CO2 snow cleaning in-situ process will use four robotic arms carrying spray nozzles that will produce CO2 snow to drive any dust particle off the primary mirror surface. The cleaning system will move the arms across the surface of the mirror at a uniform distance and controlled speed.
TMT’s Primary Mirror surface will be regularly cleaned by four robotic arms. The arm devices will sweep across the mirror and spray snow carbon dioxide through an arrangement of nozzles to remove dust and small particles. The CAD model of the arm supporting the CLN system is courtesy of MELCO.
