Deposition of metal films on an ionic liquid as a basis for a lunar telescope

Ermanno F. Borra (), Omar Seddiki, Roger Angel, Daniel Eisenstein, Paul Hickson, Kenneth R. Seddon and Simon P. Worden
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Ermanno F. Borra: Génie Physique et Optique, Centre d'Optique, Photonique et Lasers, Université Laval, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada
Omar Seddiki: Génie Physique et Optique, Centre d'Optique, Photonique et Lasers, Université Laval, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada
Roger Angel: Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 8575, USA
Daniel Eisenstein: Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 8575, USA
Paul Hickson: University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
Kenneth R. Seddon: The QUILL Centre, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK
Simon P. Worden: Office of the Director, NASA Ames Research Center. Moffett Field, California 9403, USA

Nature, 2007, vol. 447, issue 7147, 979-981

Abstract: Liquid engineering A feasibility study is under way for a space telescope capable of observing objects 100 to 1,000 times fainter than those accessible to the next generation space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope. The instrument that is yet to come is the Lunar Liquid Mirror Telescope, based on a 20- to 100-metre mirror consisting of a spinning liquid. The infrared is particularly important for observations of the early Universe, and for this a mirror temperature of below 130 K is required. This part of the project is feasible, the latest studies suggest. By coating an ionic liquid with silver, a smooth, stable surface is obtained. In its current form the lens is liquid down to 175 K, but a melting point below 130 K should be attainable in time.

Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1038/nature05909

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