Abstract

A preliminary design study has been made, including development of scientific potential and costing for an 11.3-m telescope in the form of a Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) with two 8-m elements with edge-to-edge spacing of 20-23 m. Four organizations are jointly planning it. The size, weight, and cost are kept down without compromise of limiting image quality and infrared performance by using F/1 optics, a novel alt-az cradle-platform mechanical design, active thermal control of the facility, and siting on Mt. Graham. The telescope is planned for wide field imaging and spectroscopy at the separate Cassegrain foci and high resolution interferometric image synthesis at the combined focus. The potential expansion to a higher resolution versatile array by the addition of one or two more 8-m apertures is discussed.

© 1986 Optical Society of America