Can the optical very large array be coupled with the JNLT?

Coupling the JNLT with the Keck telescope is of considerable interest. Further enhancement may be possible with auxiliary small telescopes, as planned for ESO's VLT. Current plans for installing the optical very large array at Mauna Kea provide opportunities for extra OVLA telescopes near the JNLT.A coudé field slicer is proposed for interferometric observing of a reference star together with the main object. Additions to the JNLT coudé spectrograph are also suggested for use as a speckle camera with multiple spectral channels.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Some comments on large telescope astronomy in Britain and Australia

Many of the major British telescopes are described in this volume by other speakers directly involved with those facilities, so this contribution will concentrate on aspects of the operation of the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) which seem particularly relevant to the JNLT. Some requirements for the success of the new very large optical telescopes are also discussed.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Operational and technological developments for UKIRT

There are a number of parallels between the UKIRT and the JNLT both of which are major astronomical facilities of nations which do not have premier observing sites in their own country. Some elements of experience with UKIRT relevant to the JNLT are described. These include matters related to personnel and to instruments.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Active optics experiments for thin meniscus mirror

The concept of the active support system for JNLT is summarized. Performance of the force sensor, the optical wavefront analyzer, and the actuator under development for JNLT is reported. The results of a series of active optics experiments carried out by assembling these elements to support, measure, and actively correct a 62 cm thin mirror are described.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Development, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Mechanical structure of JNLT

The Japanese National Large Telescope (JNLT) requires mechanical performance of high tracking accuracy to achieve good image quality and a mechanical configuration to provide several kinds of focus modes. Under these requirements, a conceptual design for the JNLT mechanical structure has been performed. This paper presents the results of the conceptual design currently under consideration.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Infrared instruments for JNLT

The principal features of the JNLT as an infrared telescope are presented along with its ultimate performance of detectivity in typical methods of imagery and spectroscopy. Some infrared instruments: infrared camera, grating spectrometer, and Fabry-Pérot-based imager, currently proposed as the first generation instruments are also discussed in relation to the scientific objectives of the JNLT.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Fast optics for large telescopes

Reports on two optical designs studied in connection with the JNLT project: namely, the primary corrector and the camera for a spectrograph, are presented.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 2–December 2, 1988.     

Outline of the JNLT project

The Japanese National Large Telescope (JNLT) is a 7.5 m reflector with a monolithic thin meniscus main mirror, having the candidate construction site on the northwest cone of the Mauna Kea, Hawaii.The present concept of JNLT has the characteristics of a third generation infrared telescope, which should be capable of various observations of high spatial resolution in the optical-infrared region.Although the project is still under examination from the financial and administrative point of view, a wide range of technical studies were carried out by the JNLT Working Group with the collaboration of specialists from the academic and the industrial sectors.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Infrared detector arrays and some applications to spectroscopy

The read noise, dark current, and pixel sizes of state-of-the-art infrared arrays for astronomy are presented. Considerations for instrument development utilizing infrared arrays are discussed, with emphasis on the background emission and expected sensitivity. A simple method of estimating the background emission on the JNLT and some applications to spectroscopy are presented.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Knowledge engineering application in the problem of supporting a large mirror

We propose an application of knowledge engineering in the problem of active supporting for a large mirror. To reduce calculating load and to shorten cycle time, we divide the system hierarchically into a managing central controller and many autonomous local controllers, and use reasoning instead of dynamical analysis. The reasoning is based upon pattern matchings between observed error pattern and test patterns in the knowledge base.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

The design of the Central-Axis Reflector (ZAS)

The Central-Axis Reflector, the design principle which is presented below is a segmented-mirror telescope. The inventions relate mainly to the optical system and to the tracking apparatus.A large number of small individual mirror bodies, ground off-axis (hexagonal/polygonal) produce one primary mirror with closed circular aperture when joined together.The overall design of the tracking apperatus results directly —and thus without unnecessary adornment — from the two planes of to aminimum but which are required for tracking of the telescope.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

A means for improving telescope derives

In seeking to minimize local seeing, some large telescopes are being planned with less wind protection than has been traditional and some sites with very good seeing appear to suffer significantly from ground-transmitted vibration. A great care is needed in designing new telescopes to ensure that vibration does not become a dominant cause of image degradation. A supplementary drive system is proposed which could improve on past tracking performances even in such adverse conditions. The system may also reduce the costs of very large telescopes by easing the demands on the stiffness and accuracy of their mountings and drives.Paper presented at the Symposium on JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Evaluation of the JNLT site

Two steps have been taken to decide at what place and altitude to set up the JNLT on Mauna Kea. First, the wind tunnel experiment has been made in collaboration with the Institute of Meteorology using the two models of summit area with the reduced scales of 1/1000 and 1/5000. This study tells us that the north-west cone is suitable for JNLT. Secondly, we have done the measurement of the microthermal activities in this area with a 30 m tower, which was continued for about 4 months in collaboration with the University of Hawaii. This experiment has given the mean vertical profile ofC _T ² over 4 months and its scale height in the boundayr layer on our site. By use of these measurements, the contribution of the boundary layer to seeing is estimated. The behaviour ofC _T ² under strong winds can be explained very well by topographic effects, which is in fairly good agreement with the results of our wind tunnel experiment.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

The interferometric mode of the European Very Large Telescope

The European Very Large Telescope program has been approved in 1987. It aims to consists of an array of four 8 m telescopes, plus two additional 2 m class auxiliary telescopes, the latter being fully dedicated to optical (infrared and visible) interferometry, with possible combination of some and, in the long term, all large telescopes. We discuss the implementation of this program in the next ten years.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Some Robertson-Walker models with time dependent <Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis> and Λ

Einstein field equations with variable gravitational and cosmological constants are considered in the presence of perfect fluid for Robertson-Walker universe by assuming the cosmological term proportional to the Hubble parameter. This variation law for vacuum density has recently been proposed by Schützhold on the basis of quantum field estimations in the curved and expanding background. The cosmological term tends asymptotically to a genuine cosmological constant and the model tends to a deSitter universe. We obtain that the present universe is accelerating with a large fraction of cosmological density in the form of cosmological term.     

Adaptive optics for large telescopes

The performance of large telescopes is determined both by their angular resolution and by their collection area. It is, therefore, important to achieve as high an angular resolution as possible by site selection, by avoiding image deterioration by the telescope and its environment, and by real time image restoration by adaptive optics. We summarize the principles of adaptive optics, their predicted performance and the current programs underway to implement adaptive optics for astronomical purposes.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Spectral speckle interferometry

A method of obtaining an objective prism spectrum of a stellar object with diffraction-limited spatial resolution is described.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Bianchi type-I cosmological models with time dependent G and Λ

Einstein field equations with variable gravitational and cosmological constants are considered in the presence of perfect fluid for Bianchi type-I universe by assuming the cosmological term proportional to the Hubble parameter. This variation law for vacuum density has recently been proposed by Schützhold on the basis of quantum field estimations in the curved and expanding background. The model obtained approaches isotropy. The cosmological term tends asymptotically to a genuine cosmological constant, and the model tends to a deSitter universe. We obtain that the present universe is accelerating with a large fraction of cosmological density in the form of cosmological term.     

Large mirror fabrication of low expansion glasses

Low expansion glasses offer many advantages as mirror blank materials due to their thermal and mechanical properties as well as the flewibility they offer in design and fabrication. Fused silica, Corning Code 7940, and ULE (trademark) titanium silicate, Code 7971, produced by the flame hydrolysis process, are high purity and homogeneous glasses. Determination of the average and the variation pattern of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within ULE mirror blanks is readily accomplished by ultrasonic measurements.The ability to fusion-seal of the glasses offers mirror manifacturing design freedom of shape and size. The hex-seal process has successfully produced solid monolithic mirror blank up to 4 m diameter and large thin plates up to an 801 diameter:thickness ratio. The fabrication of a large mirror blank such as the JNLT 7.5 m blank would utilize the proven fusion techniques.The hex-seal technique consists of fusing preselected boules of glass into a monolith to achieve the required thickness and diameter of a mirror blank. Subsequently, a meniscus blank can be accomplished by heating the plato blank and sagging it over a spherical refractory mold. This ability to fusion seal the glass offers the advantage of blank repair should fracture occur during manufacturing. Following the slumping, the blank is annealed. Further processing of the blank, such as grinding and coating, will not change the material properties or induce permanent stresses requiring additional annealing.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Infrared interferometry with single telescopes

We examine the merits of three basic interferometric techniques using two-dimensional infrared arrays: speckle interferopmetry, pupil plane interferometry, and speckle holography.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.