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Frictionless Telescopes in Antarctica:Why and How?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2007

N. Epchtein ,
M. Candidi  and
M. Quattri
M. Quattri*
Affiliation:
European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschildstrasse 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Abstract

Seeing quality in Antarctica is in the hundredth arcseconds rangeout of the boundary layer. To take advantage of this qualitytelescopes should be in thermal equilibrium with the outsideenvironment and should minimize the non linearity's like limitcycles which will deteriorate tracking. At the ESO Very LargeTelescope (VLT) 8 m telescopes this is realized using oil bearingsand direct drives on the axes to avoid slip stick effects on themotion. In Antarctica this could be realized using magneticbearings, possibly combined with motors, on the axes, with alsoadvantages concerning power consumptions and maintenance of thesystem.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Astronomical Society Publications Series , Volume 25: 1st ARENA Conference on "Large Astronomical Infrastructures at CONCORDIA, prospects and constraints for Antarctic Optical/IR Astronomy" , 2007 , pp. 279 - 284
Copyright
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2007

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