We present a detailed thermal and structural analysis of a 2m class solar telescope mirror which
is subjected to a varying heat load at an observatory site. A 3-dimensional heat transfer model of
the mirror takes into account the heating caused by a smooth and gradual increase of the solar flux
during the day-time observations and cooling resulting from the exponentially decaying ambient
temperature at night. The thermal and structural response of two competing materials for optical
telescopes, namely Silicon Carbide -best known for excellent heat conductivity and Zerodur -
preferred for its extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, is investigated in detail. The
insight gained from these simulations will provide a valuable input for devising an efficient and
stable thermal control system for the primary mirror.
Authors: Ravinder K Banyal and B. Ravindra
Projects: None
Publication Status: Accepted for publication in New Astronomy
Last Modified: 2011-01-28 09:15