Hydrostatic bearing arrangement for high stiffness support of theLarge Synoptic Survey Telescope

摘要

Meeting the stringent slew and settling requirements of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will require anexceptionally stiff mount. The unique three mirror design and large, 64 cm diameter, focal plane preclude the use of afast steering mirror or active focal plane. Consequently, a smooth (low vibrations) drive and bearing system is alsorequired. This combination of smooth motion and high stiffness is best achieved with hydrostatic bearings. Hydrostaticbearings have historically proven use for the support of azimuth and elevation axes of telescopes due to theseperformance advantages. In addition to the known benefit of mount stiffness and tracking accuracy from exceedinglylow friction, the hydrostatic bearing provides a wide range of geometric possibilities for large telescopes, reference I.This paper analyzes various bearing arrangements for the azimuth and elevation axes of the Large Synoptic SurveyTelescope to conceptualize the greatest stiffness for the mount and provide data to determine system performance.