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Il blocco grezzo dello specchio M5 dell'ELT è pronto
15 Maggio 2024
M5, il quinto specchio sul percorso della luce dell'ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) dell'ESO, ha raggiunto un traguardo importante: il blocco grezzo, il pezzo di materiale sagomato che verra' successivamente lucidato per diventare lo specchio, è appena stato realizzato. L'ELT avrà cinque specchi in totale e l'M5 è il più piccolo di essi, ma costruirne il blocco grezzo non è stata un'impresa da poco. L’azienda francese Mersen Boostec ha prodotto questo straordinario pezzo nei propri stabilimenti vicino a Tarbes, nel sud-ovest della Francia.
M5 è uno specchio piano ed ellittico che misura 2,7 x 2,2 metri, costruito da sei segmenti saldati insieme. Potrebbe non sembrare molto in confronto all’enorme specchio primario dell'ELT da 39 metri di diametro, ma in realtà M5 è lo specchio orientabile più grande del mondo.
Insieme a M4, M5 è un componente cruciale del sistema di ottica adattiva dell’ELT: la loro sinergia unica consentirà all’ELT di acquisire immagini estremamente nitide, compensando le perturbazioni causate dai meccanismi del telescopio, le vibrazioni dovute al vento e le turbolenze atmosferiche. Per stabilizzare le immagini, M5 regolerà la sua posizione 10 volte al secondo, senza deformarsi.
Questa sfida ha richiesto a Mersen Boostec di realizzare il blocco grezzo di M5 con un materiale molto speciale: il carburo di silicio, che è allo stesso tempo molto rigido e molto leggero. Sulla parte superiore è stato depositato uno strato di carburo di silicio molto sottile, atomo per atomo, per garantire che la superficie del blocco grezzo possa essere lucidata con una precisione inferiore a un centesimo dello spessore di un capello.
L'azienda francese Safran Reosc, che ha ora ricevuto il blocco grezzo, lo ispezionerà e successivamente lo integrerà con il suo supporto, luciderà il grezzo assemblato e fornirà le attrezzature necessarie per la sua movimentazione, trasporto, funzionamento e manutenzione. L'azienda spagnola SENER Aeroespacial sta realizzando la progettazione, costruzione e verifica della cella che contiene lo specchio (il sistema di supporto), nonché del suo sistema di controllo e delle apparecchiature ausiliarie.
L'ELT dell'ESO, il più grande occhio del mondo rivolto verso il cielo, è pronto ad affrontare le sfide astronomiche più impegnative del nostro tempo, promettendo scoperte rivoluzionarie dopo la prima luce entro la fine di questo decennio. La costruzione dei singoli componenti, come l'M5, sta spingendo la tecnologia fino al limite attuale.
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