Introduction
Submillimeter Telescope (10-Meter)
at Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO)
operated by Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO)
six miles south of Safford, Arizona on State Route 366, also known as Swift Trail.
Southeast Arizona – GoogleMap
The Arizona Radio Observatory's Submillimeter Telescope (SMT), formerly known as the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, is a submillimeter wavelength radio telescope located on Mount Graham, Arizona.
![12-MeterDish]()
12-MeterDish
The Submillimeter Telescope is a 10-meter-wide parabolic dish inside a building to protect it from bad weather. The building can be completely rolled away when the telescope is in use. The telescope's construction was finished in 1993. This telescope is maintained by the Arizona Radio Observatory, along with the 12-Meter Telescope on Kitt Peak.
The dryness of the air around and above Mt. Graham is particulatly vital for extremely-low wavelength radio (EHF) and far-infrared observations – a region of the spectrum where the electromagnetic waves are strongly attenuated by any water vapor or clouds in the air.
The SMT is used nine-to-ten months of the year, and it is stowed only when there is too much water vapor in the atmosphere, primarily during the summertime. [1]
Mount Graham International Observatory Base Camp
is located south of Safford, Arizona on State Route 366, also known as Swift Trail.
The Observatory is on the east side of Mt. Graham, at the base of the mountain.
– State of Arizona –
Submillimeter Telescope - General Description
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|
Geometry
- Main reflector: paraboloid D=10 m F/D=0.35.
- Subreflector: hyperboloid d=0.69 m Fe/D=13.8.
- Focus: Nasmyth or bent Cassegrain foci (2-outside each elevation bearing).
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Reflector
- Spaceframe support: carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) tubes with invar steel joints (3040 kg weight).
- Panels: CFRP skin with aluminum honeycomb sandwich core (110 Kg weight).
- Subreflector support: CFRP tube quadrupod (110 kg weight).
- Surface accuracy is measured by holography observations.
The most recent results are summarized in 2000.
The surface has an average rms of 15 microns over the entire surface.
Previous holography runs are: 1998, 1997, and 1995.
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Secondary
- Single mirror - CFRP aluminum honeycomb sandwich.
- Chopping mechanism - at 80% duty cycle:
- 10 Hz with 4 arcminute throw.
- 25 Hz with 25 arcsecond throw.
- 16 mirror positions possible for raster scanning.
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|
|
Mount
- Altitude/Azimuth - steel with thermal insulation.
- Absolute pointing accuracy: 1 arcsecond rms.
- Tracking precision: 0.2 arcsecond rms.
- Azimuth range: +/-270 degrees.
- Elevation range: -2 degrees to 91 degrees.
- Slew speed: 60 degrees/min.
- 41500 kg weight.
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SMT Receivers.
System Overview – ALMA Sideband Separating Receiver
The Arizona Radio Observatory’s 1.3mm JT receiver system is the first of its kind to incorporate the latest SIS mixer technology; image–separating mixers with internal IF amplifiers (mixer–preamp module). These mixers were developed at the Central Development Laboratory of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory as part of the ALMA project, and the ARO has had the privilege to be the first observatory to integrate these mixers into a radiometer system for astronomical observations. These mixer–preamps have demonstrated state–of the–art performance for sensitivity, and have no moving parts which makes them far easier to use than the conventional receiver systems using quasioptical techniques for image separation and are far more sensitive.
SMT Backends.
Filterbanks - Acousto-Optical-Spectrometers: (AOS's) - Chirp Transform Spectrometers: (CTS)
(Source: SMT-Telescope.)
Click link below right for more on the Submillimeter Telescope »
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Introduction
Submillimeter Telescope (10-Meter)
at Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO)
operated by Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO)
six miles south of Safford, Arizona on State Route 366, also known as Swift Trail.
Southeast Arizona – GoogleMap
The Arizona Radio Observatory's Submillimeter Telescope (SMT), formerly known as the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, is a submillimeter wavelength radio telescope located on Mount Graham, Arizona.
![12-MeterDish]()
12-MeterDish
The Submillimeter Telescope is a 10-meter-wide parabolic dish inside a building to protect it from bad weather. The building can be completely rolled away when the telescope is in use. The telescope's construction was finished in 1993. This telescope is maintained by the Arizona Radio Observatory, along with the 12-Meter Telescope on Kitt Peak.
The dryness of the air around and above Mt. Graham is particulatly vital for extremely-low wavelength radio (EHF) and far-infrared observations – a region of the spectrum where the electromagnetic waves are strongly attenuated by any water vapor or clouds in the air.
The SMT is used nine-to-ten months of the year, and it is stowed only when there is too much water vapor in the atmosphere, primarily during the summertime. [1]
Mount Graham International Observatory Base Camp
is located south of Safford, Arizona on State Route 366, also known as Swift Trail.
The Observatory is on the east side of Mt. Graham, at the base of the mountain.
– State of Arizona –
Submillimeter Telescope - General Description
|
|
Geometry
- Main reflector: paraboloid D=10 m F/D=0.35.
- Subreflector: hyperboloid d=0.69 m Fe/D=13.8.
- Focus: Nasmyth or bent Cassegrain foci (2-outside each elevation bearing).
|
|
|
Reflector
- Spaceframe support: carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) tubes with invar steel joints (3040 kg weight).
- Panels: CFRP skin with aluminum honeycomb sandwich core (110 Kg weight).
- Subreflector support: CFRP tube quadrupod (110 kg weight).
- Surface accuracy is measured by holography observations.
The most recent results are summarized in 2000.
The surface has an average rms of 15 microns over the entire surface.
Previous holography runs are: 1998, 1997, and 1995.
|
|
|
Secondary
- Single mirror - CFRP aluminum honeycomb sandwich.
- Chopping mechanism - at 80% duty cycle:
- 10 Hz with 4 arcminute throw.
- 25 Hz with 25 arcsecond throw.
- 16 mirror positions possible for raster scanning.
|
|
|
Mount
- Altitude/Azimuth - steel with thermal insulation.
- Absolute pointing accuracy: 1 arcsecond rms.
- Tracking precision: 0.2 arcsecond rms.
- Azimuth range: +/-270 degrees.
- Elevation range: -2 degrees to 91 degrees.
- Slew speed: 60 degrees/min.
- 41500 kg weight.
|
SMT Receivers.
System Overview – ALMA Sideband Separating Receiver
The Arizona Radio Observatory’s 1.3mm JT receiver system is the first of its kind to incorporate the latest SIS mixer technology; image–separating mixers with internal IF amplifiers (mixer–preamp module). These mixers were developed at the Central Development Laboratory of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory as part of the ALMA project, and the ARO has had the privilege to be the first observatory to integrate these mixers into a radiometer system for astronomical observations. These mixer–preamps have demonstrated state–of the–art performance for sensitivity, and have no moving parts which makes them far easier to use than the conventional receiver systems using quasioptical techniques for image separation and are far more sensitive.
SMT Backends.
Filterbanks - Acousto-Optical-Spectrometers: (AOS's) - Chirp Transform Spectrometers: (CTS)
(Source: SMT-Telescope.)
Click link below right for more on the Submillimeter Telescope »
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Delete This Article
Are you absolutely sure you want to remove this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Remove This Article
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