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

Angel，RogerAST-0138347将研究一种创新的方法，以创建满足十年报告要求的巨型分段式镜面望远镜(GSMT)。两个望远镜的相干组合和具有技术挑战性的多重共轭自适应光学(MCAO)的工程和科学问题将被详细研究。通过相干地组合来自两个20米望远镜的光来取代单个30米望远镜，可能是实现GSMT的一种更便宜、更可靠的方法。下一代地面望远镜将完成的大部分科学工作都依赖于一个正在工作的MCAO。MCAO尚未得到演示。这项工作将对亚利桑那州图森附近的MMT实际天文望远镜的动态重新聚焦进行关键测试，从而极大地提高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. ***