Cryogenic Star-Tracking Telescope For Gravity Probe B

C. W. F. Everitt; D. E. Davidson; R. A. Van Patten

doi:10.1117/12.966643

18 July 1986 Cryogenic Star-Tracking Telescope For Gravity Probe B

C. W. F. Everitt, D. E. Davidson, R. A. Van Patten

Proceedings Volume 0619, Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments II; (1986) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.966643
Event: O-E/LASE'86 Symposium, 1986, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

This paper describes the design, development and preliminary testing of the cryogenic star-tracking telescope used as an optical reference for the gyroscopes in the Gravity Probe B Relativity Gyroscope experiment. The telescope is operated at 1.8 K; it is fabricated entirely from fused quartz components held together by optical contacting; it has a physical length of 14 in, a focal length of 150 in and an aperture of 5.6 in. Readout is by two photomultiplier chopper-detector assemblies at ambient satellite temperature. When fully operational the telescope may be expected to have a precision approaching 0.1 marc-s over a linear range of ±70 marc-s. Its projected noise performance corresponds to an angular resolution of 1 marc-s in 1 Hz bandwidth. The paper includes a theoretical analysis, a description of the design and fabrication of a laboratory version of the telescope, a discussion of techniques of optical contacting, an account of vibration tests on a separate mass model of the telescope, a description of the artificial star developed for optical tests, and an account of preliminary experimental results.

Citation Download Citation

C. W. F. Everitt, D. E. Davidson, and R. A. Van Patten "Cryogenic Star-Tracking Telescope For Gravity Probe B", Proc. SPIE 0619, Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments II, (18 July 1986); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.966643

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