Optics Lab
This area is where optical fabrication and testing takes place. It is currently being run by our World-Class Optician, Dave Hilyard. Dave is ably assisted by Brian Dupraw.
In February of 2006, the Optics and Instrument Shops re-aluminized the 120" mirror of the Shane Telescope at Lick Observatory. Click here for the project page.Dave and Brian travel to Mt. Hamilton on a regular basis to assess and clean the optics, not just on the telescopes but on all of the instruments as well. Click here to read the reports. |
 Brian Dupraw measures the flatness of a 1.1 meter diameter Zerodur mirror blank, a prototype Thirty-Meter Telescope primary segment. |
 Close-up of a spherometer measuring the flatness of a Zerodur blank to .001mm resolution. |
 Brian performing cosmetic defect inspection of a finished Thity-Meter Telescope primary mirror segment prototype. |
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 Dave inspects three of the finished lenses that are part of the APF Spectrograph Camera. The smallest, held by fingers, is a 12mm diameter lens made of calcium flouride. |
 Some of the Zerodur/Fused Silica composite lenses fabricated by the Optical Lab and used for the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Medal. |
 Award to be presented to retiring UCSC Astronomy Professor John Faulkner, June 2005 (designed and created by Dave Hilyard and Dick Kanto in the Instrument Shop). |
 Brian grinding a 1.1 meter Zerodur mirror segment prototype for the Thirty-Meter Telescope. |
 Close-up of a grinder working a 1.1 meter diameter mirror segment. |
 Dave measures the radius of curvature and surface irregularity of an APF Spectrograph Camera lens with a Zygo interferometer. |
 Close-up of a 24" diameter pitch lap used to polish and figure a large mirror. |
 Brian Dupraw and Dave Hilyard work on a Thirty-Meter Telescope prototype primary mirror segment. |
