Case Study
Atacama Cosmology
Telescope
Scope
Dynamic Structures was contracted to provide full turnkey design through commissioning of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The six-meter diameter, off-axis, millimeter-wave cosmology telescope’s was designed to study cosmic microwave radiation. ACT’s giant structure is made up of 71 primary reflector mirror segments (6.7 meters) and a bowl-shaped protective ground screen framing that has a combined height of 40 ft.
CLIENT
Princeton University
LOCATION
Atacama Desert, Chile
Challenge
ACT is the first telescope of this size and kind designed specifically to make these measurements. It met stringent performance, reliability and quality requirements. It has to be extremely well defined in terms of position and accuracy. The project involved building a drive and control system to eliminate dynamic errors. A key challenge was how to design a telescope that oscillates back and forth, millions of times, while maintaining its optical performance. Another design challenge was location. It was based at an altitude of 5,200 meters on the western face of the Cerro Toco mountain range in the Atacama Desert region of Chile. The telescope had to operate in extreme operating condition including rain, snow, temperature and extreme winds.
Solution
To improve overall telescope performance a design solution was to use an aluminum monocoque rather than steel trusses. A structural analysis comparing aluminum and steel found that the aluminum solution provided a lighter structure which produced less impact on the mechanical components and drives, rigidity, better thermal performance, and ease of assembly and disassembly. The entire telescope structure was assembled at the Dynamic Structure’s plant and put through a series of tests to ensure it met specifications before shipping to Chile. Due to the lack of oxygen at the 5200-metre level, Dynamic Structures in a local town assembled the final structure at sea level and transported it to its mountain top location 9,000 feet above sea level.
Benefits
First telescope of its kind enables first of its kind cosmology research. It measures the remnant heat left over from the ‘Big Bang’ and enables scientists to study cosmic microwave background radiation to help determine the origin of the universe
