David S. Ashby

The Large Binocular Telescope

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Observatory is a collaboration between institutions in Arizona, Germany, Italy, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia. The telescope on Mt. Graham in Southeastern Arizona uses two 8.4-meter diameter primary mirrors mounted side-by-side to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter circular aperture. A unique feature of LBT is that the light from the two primary mirrors can be combined to produce phased array imaging of an extended field. This coherent imaging along with adaptive optics gives the telescope the diffraction-limited resolution of a 22.65-meter telescope. We will describe the scientific results and technical challenges of monocular prime focus imaging starting in Fall 2006. Binocular imaging with two co-pointed prime focus cameras began in Fall 2007. Installation of a rigid (non-adaptive) secondary mirror occurred in Spring 2008 in time for the arrival of the first Gregorian spectrometer. The telescope will use two F/15 adaptive secondaries to correct atmospheric turbulence. The first of these adaptive mirrors is now being tested in Italy, and is planned to be at the telescope by Summer 2009.

OVMS - the optical path difference and vibration monitoring system for the LBT and its interferometers

Characterisation, mitigation and correction of telescope vibrations have proven to be crucial for the performance of astronomical infrared interferometers. The project teams of the interferometers for the LBT, LINC-NIRVANA and LBTI, and LBT Observatory (LBTO) have embarked on a joint effort to implement an accelerometer-based vibration measurement system distributed over the optical elements of the LBT. OVMS, the Optical Path Difference and Vibration Monitoring System will serve to (i) ensure conditions suitable for adaptive optics (AO) and interferometric (IF) observations and (ii) utilize vibration information, converted into tip-tilt and optical path difference data, in the control strategies of the LBT adaptive secondary mirrors and the beam combining interferometers. The system hardware is mainly developed by Steward Observatorys LBTI team and its installation at the LBT is underway. The OVMS software development and associated computer infrastructure is the responsibility of the LINC-NIRVANA team at MPIA Heidelberg. Initially, the OVMS will fill a data archive provided by LBTO that will be used to study vibration data and correlate them with telescope movements and environmental parameters thereby identifiying sources of vibrations and to eliminate or mitigate them. Data display tools will help LBTO staff to keep vibrations within predefined thresholds for quiet conditions for AO and IF observations. Later-on real-time data from the OVMS will be fed into the control loops of the AO systems and IF instruments in order to permit the correction of vibration signals with frequencies up to 450 Hz.

Co-phasing the Large Binocular Telescope: status and performance of LBTI/PHASECam

The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer is a NASA-funded nulling and imaging instrument designed to coherently combine the two 8.4-m primary mirrors of the LBT for high-sensitivity, high-contrast, and highresolution infrared imaging (1.5-13 μm). PHASECam is LBTIs near-infrared camera used to measure tip-tilt and phase variations between the two AO-corrected apertures and provide high-angular resolution observations. We report on the status of the system and describe its on-sky performance measured during the first semester of 2014. With a spatial resolution equivalent to that of a 22.8-meter telescope and the light-gathering power of single 11.8-meter mirror, the co-phased LBT can be considered to be a forerunner of the next-generation extremely large telescopes (ELT).

The Large Binocular Telescope: binocular all the time

The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory is a collaboration between institutions in Arizona, Germany, Italy, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia. The telescope uses two 8.4-m diameter primary mirrors mounted sideby- side on the same AZ-EL mount to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter aperture. Many science observations collect the light from the two sides separately. With the arrival of the second copy of the near-infrared spectrometer and the second copy of the optical spectrometer, the telescope is observing with both apertures a significant fraction of the time. The light from the two primary mirrors can be combined to produce phased-array imaging of an extended field. This coherent imaging along with adaptive optics gives the telescope the diffraction-limited resolution of a 22.65-meter telescope. Adaptive optics loops are routinely closed with natural stars on both sides of the telescope for combined beam observations. Twin laser guide star constellations have recently been installed for ground layer adaptive optics observations. Commissioning of new instruments and focal stations for high resolution spectroscopy and near-infrared phased-array imaging is underway.

LBTO's long march to full operation: step 2

Step 1 (Veillet et al.1), after a review of the development of the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO from the early concepts of the early 80s to mid-2014, outlined a six-year plan (LBT2020) aimed at optimizing LBTOs scientific production while mitigating the consequences of the inevitable setbacks brought on by the considerable complexity of the telescope and the very diverse nature of the LBTO partnership. Step 2 is now focusing on the first two years of implementation of this plan, presenting the encountered obstacles, technical, cultural and political, and how they were overcome. Weather and another incident with one of the Adaptive Secondaries slowed down commissioning activities. All the facility instruments should have been commissioned and offered in binocular mode in early or mid-2016. It will happen instead by the end of 2016. On a brighter side, the first scientific publications using the LBT as a 23-m telescope through interferometry were published in 2015 and the overall number of publications has been raising at a good pace. Three second generation instruments were selected, scheduled to come on the telescope in the next three to five years. They will all use the excellent performance of the LBT Adaptive Optics (AO), which will be even better thanks to an upgrade of the AO to be completed in 2018. Less progress than hoped was made to move the current observing mode of the telescope to a whole LBT-wide queue. In two years from now, we should have a fully operational telescope, including a laser-based Ground Layer AO (GLAO) system, hopefully fully running in queue, with new instruments in development, new services offered to the users, and a stronger scientific production.

The Large Binocular Telescope azimuth and elevation encoder system

A typical high-resolution encoder interpolator relies on careful mechanical alignment of the encoder read-heads and tight electrical tolerances of the signal processing electronics to ensure linearity. As the interpolation factor increases, maintaining these tight mechanical and electrical tolerances becomes impractical. The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is designed to utilize strip-type encoders on the main axes. Because of the very large scale of the telescope, the accumulative length of the azimuth and elevation encoder strips exceeds 80 meters, making optical tape prohibitively expensive. Consequently, the designers of the LBT incorporated the far less expensive Farrand Controls Inductosyn® linear strip encoder to encode the positions of the main axes and the instrument rotators. Since the cycle pitch of these encoders is very large compared to that of optical strip encoders, the interpolation factor must also be large in order to achieve the 0.005 arcsecond encoder resolution as specified. The authors present a description of the innovative DSP-based hardware / software solution that adaptively characterizes and removes common systematic cycle-to-cycle encoder interpolation errors. These errors can be caused by mechanical misalignment, encoder manufacturing flaws, variations in electrical gain, signal offset or cross-coupling of the encoder signals. Simulation data are presented to illustrate the performance of the interpolation algorithm, and telemetry data are presented to demonstrate the actual performance of the LBT main-axis encoder system.

Recent performance improvements for the Large Binocular Telescope primary mirror system

Over the last several years the primary mirror cell systems for the Large Binocular Telescope have been upgraded to improve on-sky performance and observing efficiency. We describe improvements made to the support actuators and mirror positioning system and explain how those changes have led to better performance and contributed to increased reliability. Both systems have been substantially redesigned and remanufactured to allow the LBT primary mirror systems to meet extremely precise performance requirements over a very broad temperature range. We also discuss the mirror ventilation and thermal monitoring system and review its current status and potential upgrades to improve its performance.

The Large Binocular Telescope primary mirror support control system description and current performance results

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is built around two lightweight borosilicate honeycomb mirrors which, at 8.4 meters in diameter, are the largest operational examples of this technology. Since the mirrors are relatively stiff, the LBT mirror support system relies on passive position control and active force control. Passive position control is performed by six extendable hardpoints organized as a truncated hexapod, which may be positioned as required by the active optics control loop. The hardpoints rely on their axial stiffness to maintain the mirror position against residual external disturbances. The active force control system minimizes the force exerted by the hardpoints on the glass. Additionally, the axial component of the nominally uniform active support forces can be perturbed to distort the mirror as required by the active optics control loop. Because of the relatively large CTE of borosilicate glass, the differential temperature of the mirror is critical. Thus, the force control system must support a 16 metric ton mirror using less than 100 Watts of electrical power. The authors present a description of the primary mirror support system as implemented at the LBT. Initial stability problems made the mirrors nearly unusable in freezing temperatures. The authors explain the reason for this instability and describe the solutions implemented. Data demonstrating the current performance of the primary mirror support system are also presented.

Mixing completion, commissioning, and operations at the LBT

As of July 2012, the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory is supporting scientific observing 60% of the time with binocular prime focus imaging, single-sided optical and near-IR imaging and spectroscopy, and adaptive optics imaging. Interspersed in the last year were installation and commissioning of the second adaptive optics system and recommissioning of the LUCI near-IR instrument with a replacement detector. Initial commissioning of mid-IR interferometry is underway as well. We examine the lost time statistics and distribution of issues that reduced on-sky access in the context of the limited technical support provided for observing. We discuss some of the root causes of and responses to a critical operational readiness review. The manner in which programs are selected and scheduled for the different partners is reviewed. The goal is to apply the lessons learned to the continuing period of observation plus commissioning anticipated as new spectroscopic, adaptive optics, and interferometric capabilities are added through 2015.

GMT M1 subsystem: status, design and testing

This paper describes the design, status, and test program for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Primary Mirror Subsystem (M1). It consists of the mirror cells, positioning system, support systems, and thermal control system. The seven 8.4m mirror segments are excluded from this paper because they are considered a separate subsystem of the M1 System. The M1 Subsystem leverages heritage design of similar telescope systems; for example, the Magellan telescopes and the Large Binocular Telescope. The M1 Subsystem incorporates pneumatic force actuators, hardpoints, and a thermal control ventilation system. Design developments have been introduced to address the challenging levels of performance and unique requirements needed by the GMT telescope. Imaging goals necessitate an increase in mirror support performance, figure control, and higher-levels of thermal control. Additionally, there are challenges associated with matching and tracking the relative position of the seven mirror segments for mirror phasing. The design of the static support system needs to protect the mirrors from loads transmitted through the structure during an earthquake. Finally, the telescope design with interchangeable off-axis mirror cells necessitate mirror cells and support components that function under any range of gravitational vector orientations . A full-scale Test Cell prototype is being constructed including production versions of mirror cell components to test and validate the M1 subsystem design. A Mirror Simulator will be used with the Test Cell to validate the M1 Control System. Later, a primary mirror segment will be used with the Test Cell to perform optical tests at the University of Arizona.