Abstract

The testing of the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) requires that a source simulating the sun be available during various tests. This source must be able to be moved from one test area to another, and also be used in a thermal/vacuum chamber during environmental testing, The Portable Stimulus Test Set (PSTS) was designed to meet these criteria. The PSTS consists of a modified blackbody and an off axis parabolic mirror used together to produce a 10-inch collimated beam. The off-axis parabolic mirror blank, composed of aluminum, was machined on numerically controlled equipment. Because of the backlash of the mechanical gears, the mirror blank had a small step in it where the gear direction changed. This "step" was then hand-worked until the surface features were within 0.5 mil. of the desired features. After the surface features were within 0.5 mil., the blank was nickel plated and worked until the surface features gave λ/4 at 6328 Angstroms. When the nickel plated surface was λ/4, a hard gold coating was applied. A technique for improving the numerically controlled machining is discussed.

© 1986 Optical Society of America