GMT Optical Control and Performance

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is a next-generation “extremely large telescope” that is to be built in Chile. First observations of the southern skies are anticipated in the late 2030s. With this award, the National Science Foundation will support further development of important technologies needed to make sure the telescope obtains the sharpest images possible.

A new “testbed” will be built and used to model the alignment of the GMT’s mirrors. New software and a computer platform will also be used to test the system that will control the telescope and take observations. In parallel with this high-tech development work, the team at GMT will also continue to develop its travelling exhibit.

This educational exhibit is being designed with support from the Exploratorium in San Francisco. In Chile, meanwhile, GMT staff will work on plans to protect the dark skies above the telescope site. Tackling light pollution is essential to the remarkable science GMT will achieve.

The technical components of the project will focus on three specific tasks aimed at advancing key components of the telescope to the Final Design Phase: (i) the design and build of an Adaptive Optics (AO) and mirror phasing testbed, to be used to improve the wavefront control performance of the GMT; (ii) development and testing of the Observatory Control System needed to execute observations; and (iii) prototyping of a Real-Time Computer platform essential to operating the four main optics control modes that GMT will utilize - Natural Seeing, AO using natural guide stars, Ground Layer AO, and Laser Tomography AO. The project will also focus on further development of an informal educational exhibit and advancing GMT’s Dark and Quiet Skies Education and Engagement Research and Development program, in collaboration with the Fundación Cielos de Chile and McDonald Observatory.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.