Bimorph Deformable Mirror Adaptive Optical System

双压电晶片变形镜自适应光学系统

• 批准号: 9461256
• 负责人: Ron Kappler
• 金额: $ 6.48万
• 依托单位: Valpey-Fisher Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-01-01 至 1995-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9461256&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Bimorph; Deformable; Mirror; Adaptive; Optical

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will show that adaptive optics can make a major contribution to ground based optical and infrared astronomy by making it affordable. Astronomers have been increasing the size of telescopes for years in an effort to increase both resolution and light collection capabilities. This approach is limited due to Earth's atmosphere degrading the image at seeing time. As apertures increase larger than the seeing cells in the atmosphere, improved resolution is lost. Adaptive optics can remove most of the degradation. AO systems developed for military applications are not practical for astronomical use due to high cost and brightness of the reference object needed. One key component to any AO system is the deformable mirror which can remove atmospheric wavefront errors. Military contractors sell deformable mirrors at costs over $100,000. Valpey-Fisher Corporation believes these mirrors made in bimorph form can be produced for under $10,000. They will work in collaboration with J. Elon Graves and his adaptive optics group at the University of Hawaii. Their experience in machining and polishing PZT materials will allow them to produce these mirrors.

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将表明，自适应光学可以通过使其负担得起，为地基光学和红外天文学做出重大贡献。多年来，天文学家一直在增加望远镜的尺寸，以提高分辨率和光收集能力。这种方法是有限的，由于地球的大气层退化的图像在看到的时间。当孔径增加到大于大气中的视见细胞时，改进的分辨率就丧失了。自适应光学可以消除大部分退化。为军事应用开发的AO系统由于所需参考物体的高成本和亮度而不适用于天文用途。任何自适应光学系统的一个关键部件是可变形反射镜，它可以消除大气波前误差。军事承包商以超过10万美元的价格出售可变形反射镜。Valpey-Fisher公司认为，这种双压电晶片形式的镜子可以以低于10，000美元的价格生产。他们将与夏威夷大学的J·埃隆·格雷夫斯和他的自适应光学小组合作。他们在加工和抛光PZT材料方面的经验将使他们能够生产这些镜子。