Abstract

Adaptive secondary mirrors offer the promise of maximum throughput and minimum emissivity, when compared to traditional post-secondary adaptive optical systems. Currently, at least five telescope projects (Keck, LBT, MMT Conversion, UKIRT, VLT) are developing secondary mirrors of either the tip/tilt or deformable variety. Tip/tilt secondary mirror systems have already been demonstrated. For example, Close and McCarthy[1] have operated a tip/tilt system on a 2.3-m telescope which provides a factor of 4 improvement in Strehl ratio and nearly diffraction-limited imaging at 1.6μm. The primary objective of this work has been to examine, through detailed simulations, the wavefront correction characteristics of a deformable secondary mirror. This work is part of an on-going development program at the OSL to produce an adaptive secondary mirror system, potentially for the 3.8 m UKIRT.

© 1995 Optical Society of America