Design algorithm for the placement of identical segments in a large spherical mirror

Abstract

We present a design algorithm to compute the positions of identical, hexagonal mirror segments on a spherical surface, which is shown to provide a small variation in gap width. A one-dimensional analog to the segmentation problem is developed in order to motivate the desired configuration of the tiling patterns and to emphasize the desire for minimizing segment gap widths to improve optical performance. Our azimuthal equidistant centroid tiling algorithm is applied to three telescope architectures and produces mirror segment arrangements that compare favorably with existing and alternative designs.

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