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AURA Service Awards (1Sep94)
(from Director's Office, NOAO Newsletter No. 39, 1 September 1994)

Each year, AURA makes an award for outstanding service to NOAO.
Traditionally, this award has been given to a single individual for
exceptional contributions. This year the award recognizes the achievements of
a team of people - the members of the NOAO 3.5-m Mirror Group, who have
prepared the primary mirror for the new WIYN Telescope. The 3.5-m mirror was
fabricated and polished at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. The 3.5-m team
assisted with the polishing and fabricated the mirror cell, the active
support system, and the thermal control system. The primary mirror assembly
is now an optical system that can produce the best images of all the large
optical telescopes in the world. The innovative optical supports reshape the
surface of the mirror to the produce correct figure and remove any
aberrations. Wavefront testing by Claude Roddier of the University of Hawaii
has established that the WIYN Telescope, in the absence of atmospheric
seeing, could produce images of 0.04 arcsec. The active supports virtually
eliminate coma, a major source of aberrations in most telescopes, and the
remaining wavefront errors are some 40% less than the best produced
elsewhere. The active thermal control system not only maintains a uniform
temperature throughout the mirror, but also holds the mirror at an overall
temperature just below that of the ambient nighttime air, thereby eliminating
"mirror seeing." In the absence of atmospheric seeing, the WIYN Telescope
mirror would produce images nearly a factor of 10 better than are possible
with the Mayall 4-m primary mirror. This major improvement demonstrates the
advances in technology that have occurred in the last 20 years.

The spectacular performance of the WIYN mirror was achieved through teamwork,
and this award especially recognizes the spirit that characterized the work
of the 3.5-m Mirror Group. Everyone participated in the design process, in
fabrication, in assembly, and in the test programs. Everyone got their hands
dirty. The willingness to help wherever and whenever needed exemplifies the
best in team spirit and cooperation. The performance of the 3.5-m primary
mirror system greatly exceeds the design specifications, and this team effort
has put KPNO and NOAO on the brink of a new era in telescope performance.

Contributing to the success of the 3.5-m mirror effort over the last five
years are the following individuals:

Larry Stepp designed the mirror cell, the lateral supports and the prototype
axial supports, and managed the team until he joined the Gemini Project.

Larry Goble designed the thermal control system for the mirror and mirror
cell including an innovative thermoelectric heat exchanger which will improve
efficiency on the mountain. He designed a new light weight axial support
mechanism to replace the prototype units, participated in system assembly,
testing and installation on the mountain, and designed the shipping container
for the mirror.

Nick Roddier designed the servo control system for the mirror supports, wrote
the control algorithm that bends the mirror to the desired shape, and
participated in the system assembly, testing and installation on the
mountain.

Dave Dryden designed, fabricated, and installed much of the electronic
hardware and printed circuit boards used in the support system. He also
designed, fabricated, calibrated, and installed the 1,000 thermal sensors
system used for the prototype testing of the mirror.

Gary Poczulp was responsible for the system tests conducted on the mirror
support and thermal control systems, and also worked as an optician during
initial polishing of the mirror blank to a sphere for testing and then again
during the aspherizing on the stressed lap polisher. He has been responsible
for all of the mirror handling while it was in the NOAO mirror lab.

Lee Macomber fabricated many of the parts for the mirror assembly, and helped
to assemble the mechanical parts and to refurbish the 4-m polishing machine
after years of neglect.

Ron Harris also fabricated many of the parts, helped to assemble the
mechanical system, and installed much of the plumbing to the support system.

Scott Benjamin designed, prepared detail drawings for, and assembled parts
and has significantly contributed to the success of the system.

John Kapp contributed to the effort necessary to assemble the axial and
lateral support systems as well as the thousand other tasks that needed to be
done in a timely fashion. When it came to getting hands dirty he was always
there.

Richard Wolff led the system design upgrade, fabrication, assembly and test
efforts after the initial spherical tests were completed, and was responsible
for the schedule, budget, and day to day activities of the 3.5-m staff.

The 3.5-m mirror was the last large mirror to be polished by John Richardson,
who initially worked on polishing the mirror to a sphere in the NOAO shops
and then collaborated with Steward Mirror Lab staff to achieve the final
mirror figure. A plaque will be mounted on the WIYN mirror cell that reads
"In memory of John H. Richardson, Master Optician, 1936-1993. His skill in
producing large astronomical optics helped push back the frontiers of
astronomy."

Goetz Oertel, Caty Pilachowski, Sidney Wolff

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