Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1779252 | New Astronomy | 2011 | 9 Pages |
We present a detailed thermal and structural analysis of a 2 m 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.