A mass optimized support and access structure for ESO's Mid-infrared E-ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS)

André Boné; António Amorim; Hener Rodrigues; Dirk Lesman; Mercedes Filho; Paulo Garcia

doi:10.1117/12.2562150

13 December 2020 A mass optimized support and access structure for ESO's Mid-infrared E-ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS)

André Boné, António Amorim, Hener Rodrigues, Dirk Lesman, Mercedes Filho, Paulo Garcia

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11447, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII; 114472W (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562150
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Conference Poster

Abstract

Extremely Large Telescopes are considered worldwide as one of the highest priorities in ground-based astronomy, for they have the potential to vastly advance astrophysical knowledge with detailed studies of subjects including the first objects in the Universe, exoplanets, super-massive black holes, and the nature and distribution of the dark matter and dark energy which dominate the Universe. ESO is building its own Extremely Large optical/infrared Telescope, the ELT. This new telescope will have a 39 m main mirror and will be the largest optical/NIR telescope in the world, able to work at the diffraction limit. METIS, one of the first light instruments of the ELT, has powerful imaging and spectrographic capabilities on the thermal wavelengths. It will allow the investigation of key properties of a wide range of objects, from exoplanets to star forming regions, and it is highly complementary to other facilities such as the JWST. METIS is an extremely complex instrument, weighing almost 11 ton, and requiring high positioning and steering precisions. Here we present the ELT’s METIS’ Warm Support Structure. It consists on a 7 leg elevation platform, a passive hexapod capable of providing METIS with sub-millimetre and arcsecond positioning and steering resolutions, and an access platform where personnel can perform in-situ maintenance activities. The support structure weighs less than 5 ton and is capable of surviving earthquake conditions with accelerations up to 5g. The current design is supported by FEM simulations in ANSYS®, and was approved for Phase C.

Citation Download Citation

André Boné, António Amorim, Hener Rodrigues, Dirk Lesman, Mercedes Filho, and Paulo Garcia "A mass optimized support and access structure for ESO's Mid-infrared E-ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS)", Proc. SPIE 11447, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII, 114472W (13 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562150

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