Pier vibration isolation for lightweight interferometry telescopes

Perry G. Wood; F. Ernesto Penado; James H. Clark III; Joshua P. Walton

doi:10.1117/12.732730

17 September 2007 Pier vibration isolation for lightweight interferometry telescopes

Perry G. Wood, F. Ernesto Penado, James H. Clark III, Joshua P. Walton

Proceedings Volume 6665, New Developments in Optomechanics; 66650L (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.732730
Event: Optical Engineering + Applications, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) in Flagstaff, Arizona, makes use of separate smaller telescopes spaced along a Y-array and used simultaneously to simulate an equivalent single large telescope. Each telescope is mounted on a massive reinforced concrete pier tied to bedrock. The mass of the pier dampens most, but not all, of the unwanted vibration in the required spectrum. The quality and resolution of a stellar image depends on minimizing movement of the mirrors due to vibration. The main source of pier vibration is due to the soil-pier interaction. Surrounding environmental and man-made vibration propagates through the soil as body and surface waves, and forces the pier to move. In this paper, a novel concept based on a sleeve/air gap system to isolate the soil from the pier is used to minimize the vibration input to the telescope. An example of the concept is presented with respect to the future implementation of a 1.4-m diameter composite telescope at the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer.

Citation Download Citation

Perry G. Wood, F. Ernesto Penado, James H. Clark III, and Joshua P. Walton "Pier vibration isolation for lightweight interferometry telescopes", Proc. SPIE 6665, New Developments in Optomechanics, 66650L (17 September 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.732730

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available