| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 02- S3.04-7955 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 024044 ) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | High Contrast Astrophysical Imaging |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | High Actuated Primary Mirror to Enable Prime Focus Coronograph Telescope |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Xinetics Inc.
37 MacArthur Ave
Devens , MA 01432 - 5022
(978 ) 772 - 0352
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Roland Plante
rplante@xinetics.com
37 MacArthur Ave
Devens , MA 01432 - 5022
(978 ) 772 - 0352
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Highly Actuated Primary Mirror is an evolutionary advance that will form the basis of coronagraphic telescopes such as the Terrestrial Planet Finder to direct image planets planets orbiting nearby stars. Used in a Prime Focus coronagraph, it completely eliminates optics between the Primary and coronagraphic occulter. This mirror has the stroke and spatial frequency bandwidth to completely control the mid spatial frequency scatter from the primary mirror, giving high contrast performance. It features a lightweight mirror structure fabricated from silicon carbide, which is compatible with both ambient and cryogenic environments. Actuators with angstrom level precision are used for mirror shape control and optical replication is used to form the mirror surface. The mirror will advance primary mirror technology in terms of channel count (941 to 4,317), spatial resolution (100-mm to 10-mm), and dimensional stability (l/10 to l/100). From a NASA perspective, the highly actuated design is applicable to both earth observing and space imaging surveillance. From a commercial perspective, it enables the cost-effective, volume production of high precision aspheres, which will be in big demand for 0.1-mm lithography systems. Rapid response replication of the optical surface, the mirror substrate, and the control actuators form a new paradigm in mirror manufacture.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Highly Actuated Primary Mirror will enable the volume production of precision aspheres using programmable optical replication techniques. Instead of being used as a precision optic, the Highly Actuated Primary Mirror will be used as a programmable agile mandrel onto which nanolaminate foils will be deposited to replicate the optical surface. The optical foils can be made with varying optical prescriptions by using the shape control function of the agile mandrel. Recent advances in nanolaminate materials have resulted in low scatter, stress free foils having optical quality comparable to glass. Using a fugitive layer the optical foils can then be removed from the mandrel and bonded to a strong back. The result is an optic without the cost of aspheric polishing. The will form the basis for the cost-effective, volume production of high precision aspheres, which will be in big demand for 0.1-mm lithography systems.
POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Terrestrial Planet Finder is beginning the design of a Coronagraphic Telescope capable of directly imaging planets orbiting nearby stars. Such a coronagraph depends on suppression of scattered light to achieve high contrast performance. The primary source of scattered light is mid-spatial frequency figure errors on the optics of the coronagraphic telescope. Previous approaches used small, highly actuated deformable mirrors located at a pupil conjugate to the primary mirror. Phase aberrations of the primary are compensated, but require several intervening optics. Since the intervening optics are not conjugate to the PM or DM, errors result at the telescope exit pupil, degrading coronagraphic sensitivity. A Highly Actuated Primary Mirror can be used in a Prime Focus coronagraph that completely eliminates optics between the Primary and coronagraphic occulter. This mirror has the stroke and spatial frequency bandwidth to completely control the mid spatial frequency scatter from the PM, giving high contrast performance.