Abstract Details
| Name: Kevikumar A. Lad Affiliation: PRL Conference ID: ASI2025_204 Title : Mirror Coating Plant for PRL 2.5m Telescope Authors and Co-Authors : Kevikumar A. Lad, Kapil Kumar Bharadwaj, Vivek Kumar Mishra, JSSV Prasad Neelam, Ashirbad Nayak, Abhijit Chakraborty Abstract Type : Poster Abstract Category : Facilities, Technologies and Data science Abstract : Mirrors are the telescope's most critical components, serving as primary light-gathering elements. To enhance the light-gathering capabilities, mirrors for the ground-based telescopes are coated with a thin film of metallic layer. For our PRL 2.5m Telescope, primary and secondary mirrors are coated with a thin film of bare aluminium, which degrades over time after being exposed to the local environment for a long period of time. To address this issue, a new mirror coating facility has been developed and installed at the PRL Mount Abu Observatory for the 2.5m telescope, marking a significant milestone as the first of its kind in India under the MII (Make in India) initiative. This innovative facility was developed in collaboration with Hind High Vacuum Pvt. Ltd (HHV), Bangalore, employs the resistive-heating-based thermal evaporation technique, allowing for the coating to be carried out in the upward-facing mirror configuration for a 2.5m diameter mirror. This technological advancement ensures superior uniformity in deposition thickness across the mirror's surface, thereby enhancing performance.Furthermore, a dedicated mirror coating removal and cleaning station has been specifically developed for the 2.5m telescope mirrors. The facility became operational in October 2023. This achievement is a significant contribution towards maintaining the long-term excellence of the telescope mirrors. The first time re-coating of the primary mirror and secondary mirror of the PRL 2.5m Telescope was successfully performed with the plant in 2023. The quality of the thin film of bare aluminum coating on both mirrors indicates the successful operation of the plant. We will present the design and development of a thin-film mirror coating plant for a recently installed PRL 2.5m Telescope. |