Frontier Science Enabled by a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (Gsmt)
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Distributed Control of a Segmented Telescope Mirror
Distributed Control of a Segmented Telescope Mirror by Dan Kerley B.Eng., University of Victoria, 2004 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF APPLIED SCIENCE in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Dan Kerley, 2010 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be produced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author ii Distributed Control of a Segmented Telescope Mirror by Dan Kerley B.Eng., University of Victoria, 2004 Supervisory Committee Dr. Edward Park (Department of Mechanical Engineering) Supervisor Dr. Afzal Suleman (Department of Mechanical Engineering) Department Member Dr. Panajotis Agathoklis (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering) Outside Member Ms. Jennifer Dunn (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics) Additional Member iii SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE Dr. Edward Park (Department of Mechanical Engineering) Supervisor Dr. Afzal Suleman (Department of Mechanical Engineering) Department Member Dr. Panajotis Agathoklis (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering) Non-Department Member Ms. Jennifer Dunn (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics) Additional Member ABSTRACT As astronomers continue to examine fainter objects and farther back in time, they require increasingly large telescopes due to the fundamental diffraction of optical elements. Therefore several of the next generation optical telescopes will employ extremely large primary mirrors. However to realistically construct mirrors of these magnitudes they will need to be assembled as a collection of many smaller mirrors. This mirror segmentation leads to the additional challenge of aligning the smaller mirror elements with respect to one another, and maintain that alignment in the presence of disturbances on the optical surface and its supporting structure. -
Stsci Newsletter: 1991 Volume 008 Issue 03
SPACE 'fEIFSCOPE SOENCE ...______._.INSTITUIE Operated for NASA by AURA November 1991 Vol. 8No. 3 HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE: HSTSCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS WF/PC OBSERVATIONS OF THE STELLAR O NEW SCIENCE RESULTS ON M87, CRAB PULSAR CUSP IN M87 O COSTAR PROGRESSING WELL The photograph on the left shows one of a set of images of the central regions of the giant ellipti O ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT HST DATA cal galaxy M87, obtained in June 1991 withHSI's Wide Field and Planetary Camera {WF/PC). 0 CYCLE 2 PEER REVIEW UNDERWAY Analysis of these images has revealed a stellar cusp in the core of M87, consistent with the pres ence of a massive black hole in its nucleus. A combined approach of image deconvolution and modelling has made it possible to investigate the starlight distribution in M87 down to a limiting radius of about 0'.'04 from the nucleus (or about 3 pc from the nucleus if the Virgo cluster is at 16 Mpc). The results show that the central struc ture of M87 can be described by three compo nents: a power-law starlight profile with an r·114 slope which continues unabated into the center, an unresolved central point source, and optical coun terparts of the jet knots identified by VLBI obser vations. In both the V- and /-band Planetary Camera images, the stellar cusp is consistent with the black-hole model proposed for M87 by Young et al. in 1978; in this model, there is a central mas sive object of about 3 x 109 Me. -
A Thin Diffuse Component of the Galactic Ridge X-Ray Emission and Heating of the Interstellar Medium Contributed by the Radiation of Galactic X-Ray Binaries
A&A 564, A107 (2014) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201323332 & c ESO 2014 Astrophysics A thin diffuse component of the Galactic ridge X-ray emission and heating of the interstellar medium contributed by the radiation of Galactic X-ray binaries Margherita Molaro1, Rishi Khatri1, and Rashid A. Sunyaev1,2 1 Max Planck Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85741 Garching, Germany e-mail: [email protected] 2 Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 84/32, 117997 Moscow, Russia Received 23 December 2013 / Accepted 14 January 2014 ABSTRACT We predict athindiffuse component of the Galactic ridge X-ray emission (GRXE) arising from the scattering of the radiation of bright X-ray binaries (XBs) by the interstellar medium. This scattered component has the same scale height as that of the gaseous disk (∼80 pc) and is therefore thinner than the GRXE of stellar origin (scale height ∼130 pc). The morphology of the scattered component is furthermore expected to trace the clumpy molecular and HI clouds. We calculate this contribution to the GRXE from known Galactic XBs assuming that they are all persistent. The known XBs sample is incomplete, however, because it is flux limited and spans the lifetime of X-ray astronomy (∼50 years), which is very short compared with the characteristic time of 1000−10 000 years that would have contributed to the diffuse emission observed today due to time delays. We therefore also use a simulated sample of sources, to estimate the diffuse emission we should expect in an optimistic case assuming that the X-ray luminosity of our Galaxy is on average similar to that of other galaxies. -
Thirty Meter Telescope Observatory Software Architecture K
FRBHMUST03 Proceedings of ICALEPCS2011, Grenoble, France THIRTY METER TELESCOPE OBSERVATORY SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE K. Gillies#, C. Boyer, TMT Observatory Corporation, Pasadena, CA 91105, USA Abstract architecture takes advantage of these prior solutions when The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will be a ground- possible. It’s then possible to focus attention on the based, 30-m optical-IR telescope with a highly problems unique to TMT and reuse common solutions for segmented primary mirror located on the summit of the parts of the software system that are known or of little Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The TMT Observatory Software risk. We can also improve upon the solutions used in the (OSW) system will deliver the software applications and previous generation of systems when experience has infrastructure necessary to integrate all TMT software into shown that aspects of the known solutions have issues. a single system and implement a minimal end-to-end The complexity of some aspects of the TMT software science operations system. At the telescope, OSW is control system scale with the telescope aperture size, and focused on the task of integrating and efficiently the software must also scale to handle this complexity. controlling and coordinating the telescope, adaptive Segmented mirror control for TMT requires more moving optics, science instruments, and their subsystems during parts behind the mirror and with it more sophisticated observation execution. From the software architecture control software than existing segmented mirror systems. viewpoint, the software system is viewed as a set of It’s also true that not every aspect of TMT software software components distributed across many machines complexity scales with the size of the aperture. -
From Dust to Dust: Protoplanetary Disk Accretion, Hot Jupiter Climates, and the Evaporation of Rocky Planets
UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title From Dust to Dust: Protoplanetary Disk Accretion, Hot Jupiter Climates, and the Evaporation of Rocky Planets Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9jq3136f Author Perez-Becker, Daniel Alonso Publication Date 2013 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California From Dust to Dust: Protoplanetary Disk Accretion, Hot Jupiter Climates, and the Evaporation of Rocky Planets By Daniel Alonso Perez-Becker A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Eugene Chiang, Co-chair Professor Christopher McKee, Co-chair Professor Eliot Quataert Professor Geoffrey Marcy Fall 2013 From Dust to Dust: Protoplanetary Disk Accretion, Hot Jupiter Climates, and the Evaporation of Rocky Planets Copyright 2013 by Daniel Alonso Perez-Becker 1 Abstract From Dust to Dust: Protoplanetary Disk Accretion, Hot Jupiter Climates, and the Evaporation of Rocky Planets by Daniel Alonso Perez-Becker Doctor of Philosophy in Physics University of California, Berkeley Professor Eugene Chiang, Co-chair Professor Christopher McKee, Co-chair This dissertation is composed of three independent projects in astrophysics concerning phenomena that are concurrent with the birth, life, and death of planets. In Chapters 1 & 2, we study surface layer accretion in protoplanetary disks driven stellar X-ray and far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation. In Chapter 3, we identify the dynamical mechanisms that control atmospheric heat redistribution on hot Jupiters. Finally, in Chapter 4, we characterize the death of low-mass, short-period rocky planets by their evaporation into a dusty wind. -
Nasa's Next Four Large Telescopes Hearing Committee on Science, Space, and Technology House of Representatives
NASA’S NEXT FOUR LARGE TELESCOPES HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 6, 2017 Serial No. 115–41 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 27–680PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas DANA ROHRABACHER, California ZOE LOFGREN, California MO BROOKS, Alabama DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon BILL POSEY, Florida AMI BERA, California THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma MARC A. VEASEY, Texas RANDY K. WEBER, Texas DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia STEPHEN KNIGHT, California JACKY ROSEN, Nevada BRIAN BABIN, Texas JERRY MCNERNEY, California BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia PAUL TONKO, New York RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana BILL FOSTER, Illinois DRAIN LAHOOD, Illinois MARK TAKANO, California DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii JIM BANKS, Indiana CHARLIE CRIST, Florida ANDY BIGGS, Arizona ROGER W. MARSHALL, Kansas NEAL P. DUNN, Florida CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE HON. BRIAN BABIN, Texas, Chair DANA ROHRABACHER, California AMI BERA, California, Ranking Member FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma ZOE LOFGREN, California MO BROOKS, Alabama DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia BILL POSEY, Florida MARC A. VEASEY, Texas JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois STEPHEN KNIGHT, California ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia CHARLIE CRIST, Florida RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana BILL FOSTER, Illinois DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas JIM BANKS, Indiana ANDY BIGGS, Arizona NEAL P. -
Numerical Models of Galaxy Evolution: Black Hole Feedback and Disk Heating by Jackson Eugene Debuhr
Numerical Models of Galaxy Evolution: Black Hole Feedback and Disk Heating by Jackson Eugene DeBuhr A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Chung-Pei Ma, Co-Chair Professor Eliot Quataert, Co-Chair Professor Christopher McKee Professor Leo Blitz Spring 2012 Numerical Models of Galaxy Evolution: Black Hole Feedback and Disk Heating Copyright 2012 by Jackson Eugene DeBuhr 1 Abstract Numerical Models of Galaxy Evolution: Black Hole Feedback and Disk Heating by Jackson Eugene DeBuhr Doctor of Philosophy in Physics University of California, Berkeley Professor Chung-Pei Ma, Co-Chair Professor Eliot Quataert, Co-Chair This thesis explores two topics in contemporary galaxy evolution using numerical models and N-body simulation: feedback in active galactic nuclei and the heating of stellar disks. Two numerical models of feedback from active galactic nuclei are developed and applied to the case of a major merger between two disk galaxies. Accretion into central black holes is modeled via a subgrid prescription based on angular momentum transport on unresolved scales. Feedback from black holes is modeled in two ways, both of which deposit a momentum τL=c into the surroundings, where L is the luminosity of radiation produced by the galactic nucleus. In the first model, the momentum is divided equally among the nearby gas particles to model processes like the absorption of ultraviolet light by dust grains. The second model deposits the same amount of momentum into the surroundings, but it does so by launching a wind with a fixed speed, which only has a direct effect on a small fraction of the gas in the black hole's vicinity. -
A Demonstration of Wavefront Sensing and Mirror Phasing from the Image Domain
Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 000, 000–000 (0000) Printed 6 August 2018 (MN LATEX style file v2.2) A Demonstration of Wavefront Sensing and Mirror Phasing from the Image Domain Benjamin Pope1;2?, Nick Cvetojevic1;3;4, Anthony Cheetham1, Frantz Martinache5, Barnaby Norris1, Peter Tuthill1 1Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia 2Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Rd, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK. 3Centre for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS), Institute of Photonics and Optical Science (IPOS), School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia 4Australian Astronomical Observatory, NSW 2121, Australia 5Laboratoire Lagrange, CNRS UMR 7293, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Bd de l’Observatoire, 06304 Nice, France 6 August 2018 ABSTRACT In astronomy and microscopy, distortions in the wavefront affect the dynamic range of a high contrast imaging system. These aberrations are either imposed by a turbulent medium such as the atmosphere, by static or thermal aberrations in the optical path, or by imperfectly phased subapertures in a segmented mirror. Active and adaptive optics (AO), consisting of a wave- front sensor and a deformable mirror, are employed to address this problem. Nevertheless, the non-common-path between the wavefront sensor and the science camera leads to persis- tent quasi-static speckles that are difficult to calibrate and which impose a floor on the image contrast. In this paper we present the first experimental demonstration of a novel wavefront sensor requiring only a minor asymmetric obscuration of the pupil, using the science camera itself to detect high order wavefront errors from the speckle pattern produced. -
The First Active Segmented Mirror at ESO
Telescopes and Instrumentation The First Active Segmented Mirror at ESO Frédéric Gonté, Christophe Dupuy, The design and integration phases of onal mirrors have to be aligned with a Christoph Frank, Constanza Araujo, APE, which started in 2005, have been precision better than 15 nm rms. It was Roland Brast, Robert Frahm, completed and the test phase will start clearly not feasible to produce a scaled- Robert Karban, Luigi Andolfato, in June 2007 during which time APE down version of the full primary mirror. Regina Esteves, Matty Nylund, will be installed at the focus of one of the However, from a statistical point of view, Babak Sedghi, Gerhard Fischer, Lothar VLT unit telescopes in 2008. a mirror with approximately 50 segments Noethe, Frédéric Derie (all ESO) is already representative of a mirror with Initially the APE team wanted to contract many more segments in terms of the the design and manufacture of the ASM study of issues like alignment algorithms The Active Phasing Experiment (APE) is to a private company. However, when or the effect of misalignments on image part of the Extremely Large Telescope no company could be found which could quality. The main requirements for the Design Study which is supported by the meet the rather stringent requirements, ASM can be summarised as: European Framework Programme 6. it was decided to develop the ASM in- – 61 segments in four rings around the This experiment, which is conducted in house, involving ESO groups in Integra- central segment collaboration with several partners is tion, Optics, Electronics, Software and – Segment size 17 mm to minimise the a demonstrator to test and qualify newly- the ELT Project Office. -
Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope: a Point Design Based on Science Drivers
Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope: a point design based on science drivers Stephen E. Strom, Larry Stepp, Brooke Gregory AURA New Initiatives Office ABSTRACT We describe a 'point design' for a 30m Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT) aimed at meeting a set of initial science goals developed over a period of two years by working groups comprised of more than 60 astronomers. The paper summarizes these goals briefly, captures the top-level performance requirements that follow from them, and describes a plausible, first-cut technical solution developed as part of an overall systems-level analysis. The key features of the point design are: (1) a fast (f/1) primary; (2) an adaptive secondary that serves both to compensate for the effects of wind buffeting and as the first stage of three adaptive optics systems: (i) multi-conjugate AO; (ii) high-performance on-axis AO; (iii) ground-level seeing compensation; (3) a radio telescope structure; (4) multiple instrument ports (prime focus; Nasmyth foci; direct Cass); (5) an hierarchical control system comprising multiple active and adaptive elements. Keywords: Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope, telescope conceptual design 1. INTRODUCTION Najita and Strom1 summarize the science enabled by the enormous gains in sensitivity and angular resolution afforded by a 30-m class telescope. Among the key programs described therein are: • Quantifying the distribution of gas and galaxies at redshifts z > 3 in order to understand the link between emerging large-scale structure and the observed fluctuations in the -
Workshop Report (456Kb PDF)
Organizing Committee The First Workshop on the Ground-Based O/IR System Scottsdale, Ariz. October 27-28, 2000 Organizing Committee Charles Alcock (U. Penn) Charles Beichmann (JPL/IPAC) Todd Boroson (NOAO), Co-Chair James Crocker (Ball Aerospace) Alan Dressler (OCIW), Co-Chair James Gunn (Princeton U.) Garth Illingworth (UC Santa Cruz) Robert Kirshner (Harvard U.) Jonathan Lunine (U. Arizona) Christopher McKee (UC Berkeley) Richard Mushotzky (GSFC) Patrick Osmer (Ohio State U.) John Peoples (FNAL) This workshop was sponsored by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The preparation and distribution of this report were also funded by NOAO. NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation The First Workshop on the Ground-Based O/IR System: Organizing Committee Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4. Workshop Results and Recommendations 4. General Observations 4. Recommendations on Instrumental Capabilities 5. Recommendations on Other Capabilities 6. Recommendations on TSIP 6. Committee Discussion on a Process for the Positive Evolution of the Ground-Based O/OR System 7. Specific Suggestions for the Implementation of TSIP Appendices A Workshop Participants B. Workshop Agenda C. Reports of the Breakout Groups C-1. OIR Ground-Based Cosmology (T. Tyson) C-4. The Cosmic History of Star Formation and Chemical Evolution (H. Ferguson) C-6. Testing the Hierarchical Model of Galaxy Formation: the Buildup of Large-Scale Structure and Its Relation to Dark Matter (K. Lanzetta) C-9. Massive Black Holes (M. Malkan) C-11. Searching for Origins in Proto-Stars and Planets: Requirements for the O/IR (M. -
Building the Gateway to the Universe 3
B UILDING THE GATEWAY TO T HE UN IVERSE T HIRTY M ETER TEL ESCOPE 42581_Book.indd 2 10/12/10 11:11 AM CONTENTS 02 The Story of TMT is the History of the Universe 04 Breakthroughs and Discoveries in Astronomy 08 Grand Challenges of Astronomy 12 A Brief History of Astronomy and Telescopes 14 The Best Window on the Universe 16 The Science and Technology of TMT 26 Technology, Innovation, and Science 28 Turning Starlight into Insight On the cover Artist’s concept of the Thirty Meter Telescope. The unique dome design optimizes TMT’s view while minimizing its size. The louvered openings surrounding the dome enable the observatory to balance the air temperature inside the dome with that of the surrounding atmosphere, ensuring the best possible image with the telescope. Photo-illustration: Skyworks Digital 42581_Book.indd 3 10/12/10 11:11 AM B UILDING THE GATEWAY TO T HE UN IVERSE 42581_Book.indd 1 10/12/10 11:11 AM THE STORY OF TMT IS THE HISTORY OF THE U N IVERSE The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will take us on an exciting journey of dis- covery. The TMT will explore the origin of galaxies, reveal the birth and death of stars, probe the turbulent regions surrounding supermassive black holes, and uncover previously hidden details about planets orbiting distant stars, including the possibility of life on these alien worlds. 2 T HIRTY METERT ELESCO PE 42581_Book.indd 2 10/12/10 11:11 AM Photo-illustration: Dana Berry MAUNA KEA HAWAII SELECTED AS PREFERRED SITE FULLY INTEGRATED LASER GUIDE STAR ADAPTIVE OPTICS INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP BUILDING THE GATEWAY TO THE UNIVERSE 3 42581_Book.indd 3 10/12/10 11:11 AM B REAKTHROUG HS A ND DISCOV ERI ES I N ASTRONOMY Research in astronomy has revealed exciting details about our place in the cosmos.