290 likes | 377 Views
Explore the evolution of telescopes and CCD arrays, from thick mirrors to segmented mirrors and digital detectors like CCD. Learn about the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) with its impressive capabilities. Dive into the challenges and advancements in telescope design and data processing in this informative journey through astronomy technology.
E N D
All these Sky Pixels Are Yours The evolution of telescopes and CCD Arrays: The Coming Data Nightmare
Once Upon a Time: Life Was Simple • One Big Telescope • One Thick Mirror • One Lousy Detector
Old School • But No QE
Thick Mirrors • Made the support structure of the telescopes very expensive • Capital Cost scaled as A3 • Would be limiting factor • Thermal Issues • 1948-1982
Solution: Develop Thin Mirrors • Lower Cost for Support Structures • Thermal Issues are less
Next: Combine Individual Light Sources • First done at the Multiple Mirror Telescope which was commissioned in 1982
Thin to Segmented Mirrors • Thin Mirror Technology (including Hubble) would dominate from 1982 to about 1998 • Keck 10 meter segmented mirror
What about Detectors? • Photographic/Film is horrible non linear and no QE • Need a digital detector • Boyle and Smith 1969 CCD Nobel Prize
Optical Interferometer • Can it work at short wavelengths to combine the light from many mirrors?
24.5 Meter Telescope Coming • Giant Magellan Telescope • 7 x 8.4 mirrors
The Next Big Thing • A 33 GigaPixel Digital Camera
But is Big Aperture = Big Science • Historically not – Historically its survey instruments that advance the field. • Here comes the LSST
LSST Concept • Single 8.4 M mirror • 3 degree FOV (!) • 80% encircled energy = 0.2” (Like HST) • 10s integration equivalent to 10hr integration with 200 inch telescope. • There are 40,000 square degrees in the sky • So …
But Can this Work? Each image = 132 Gbyte 240 Images per hour = 32 Terrabytes 10 hours = 320 TB 4 Day Survey = 1.28 PB Rinse and repeat and each pixel contains information!