The 20/20 Telescope - a new concept for the GSMT

将研究一种创新的方法来制造一个满足十年报告要求的巨型分段反射镜望远镜（GSMT）。对双望远镜相干组合的工程和科学问题以及具有技术挑战性的多共轭自适应光学（MCAO）进行了详细的研究。用两个20米望远镜的相干组合光来取代单个30米望远镜，可能是实现GSMT的一种更便宜、更可靠的方法。下一代地面望远镜要完成的许多科学研究都依赖于MCAO的工作。MCAO尚未得到证实。这项工作将通过在实际的天文望远镜——亚利桑那州图森市附近的MMT上提供动态重聚焦的关键测试，显著提高MCAO的技术水平。＊＊＊

Angel, RogerAST-0138347An innovative approach to creating a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT) that meets the requirements of the decade report will be investigated. The engineering and scientific issues for the coherent combination of two telescopes and the technically challenging multiple conjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) will be examined in detail. Replacing a single 30-meter telescope by coherently combining light from two 20-meter telescopes may be a less expensive, more reliable approach to the realization of the GSMT. Much of the science to be accomplished by the next generation ground-based telescopes relies on a working MCAO. MCAO has not yet been demonstrated. This effort will advance the state of the art in MCAO significantly by providing a critical test of the dynamic refocus at an actual astronomical telescope: The MMT near Tucson Arizona. ***