Photonic Synthesis of Large Aperture Telescopes from Multi-Telescope Arrays

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The central technological theme of modern astrophysical instrumentation is the development of ever larger telescopes, using larger-diameter mirrors to gather more and more light. More light-gathering power translates directly to sensitivity in studies of astrophysical phenomena. The largest visible-light telescopes in operation today are ten meters in diameter, and thirty-meter designs are being actively pursued. The cost of modern telescopes, however, increases much more quickly than the size of their main mirrors, so that ambitious increases in aperture have become almost prohibitively expense. The proposal to which this award is made approaches the problem of increasing astronomical light-gathering power in a different and highly innovative way. A single large aperture is replaced by a number of smaller telescopes whose light is brought to a common point by optical fibers.The general scale of cost savings anticipated with the concept proposed under this award is roughly a factor of ten over filled-aperture telescopes, possibly more. The demonstration system will be a module of four small telescopes that, taken together, are equivalent in light-gathering power to a single 0.7 meter telescope. The system will be coupled to the bHROS spectrograph, in collaboration with the ICATE institute in Argentina. This demonstration will retire the risk for the primary technologicalissues for the photonic-synthesis array approach, bringing this transformational technology into consideration as a cost-effective alternative to traditional construction methods for large advances in light-gathering power.This project will involve and train students in many aspects of the work. It also has potentially large broader impacts in that it may enable improved practical performance of a range of astronomical instrumentation, all of which will benefit from increased light-gathering power.Funding for this project is being provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through its Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program.