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The LOFT group Where we are going Who we are ? Where we came from Large Optics Fabrication and Testing 1 In the Beginning 1997: Assistant Professor of Optical Sciences The students were hungry for new challenges: 2 U of A Telescopes Large Binocular 2 x 8.4m Telescope Mt. Graham AZ MMT 6.5m Mt. Hopkins AZ Bok 90-in Telescope Kitt Peak, AZ Magellan twin 6.5m Telescopes Las Campanas, Chile 3 For a while, we were LOST 4 Some big Fab and Test projects 2-m convex reference 1.4-m convex off-axis aspheric 1.6-m flat 4.3-m primary mirror for Discovery Channel Telescope 5 LOFT Evolution 2005 6 LOFT Evolution 2006 7 LOFT Evolution 2007 8 LOFT Evolution 2008 9 LOFT Evolution 2009 10 LOFT Evolution 2010 11 LOFT Evolution 2011 12 LOFT Evolution 2012 13 Current Projects • Large Optics Fabrication and Testing for New Telescopes • Advanced measurement technologies • Superpolishing techniques • Optomechanical Engineering • Computer modeling 14 The Giant Magellan Telescope Site in Chile 2021 first light J. H. Burge University of 15 GMT Design 36 meters high, 25.3 meters across 25-m Primary mirror (f/0.7) 3.2-m segmented secondary mirror corrects for PM position errors deformable mirror for adaptive optics Alt-Az structure ~1000 tons moving mass 21.3 m azimuth disk 21 m elevation C-ring Steel + CFRP secondary support Instruments mount below primary at the Gregorian focus Large Synoptic Survey Telescope 8.4-m aperture Uses three-mirror design to attain 3.5° field of view 15-sec exposures to survey the sky 30TB of data per night! Site in Chile Advanced Technology Solar Telescope Site is Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii 18 10-m Hobby Eberly Telescope 4-mirror Wide Field Corrector 19 Looking Forward • Continue to develop and apply new technologies – Maintain preeminent position in the field of Large Optics – Provide mirrors and instruments for large telescopes • Diversify! Use our strength to take leadership roles in other areas – – – – – Freeform aspherics Adaptive Optics Flexible software Optomechanical engineering ??? What can you add ??? 20 Our keys to success! • • • • Maintain lots of activity and interaction Create new ideas Use funded projects to test new ideas Work with professional staff to turn ideas into capabilities • Use new capabilities to win new projects 21 Your challenges • • • • Maintain lots of activity and interaction Create new ideas Use funded projects to test new ideas Work with professional staff to turn ideas into capabilities 22 Your reward • Solid engineering skills – Technical: Analysis, modeling, practical skills – Communications: writing, presenting, working with a team – Work habits: productivity • Well-developed creativity – Generate new ideas – Sift them efficiently • Love your work! (and get paid well for it too.) 23