Evaluation, design, and construction of the Wallace Astrophysical Observatory Camera for astronomical observations

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to upgrade the scientific capabilities of the 24" Cassegrain reflector telescope at the George R. Wallace, Jr. Astrophysical Observatory (Wallace Observatory), part of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The upgrade consists of evaluating, designing and constructing the Wallace Astrophysical Observatory Camera (WAOcam), optimized for 24" telescope. A full 3D model of the 24" telescope and dome was created to find the size restrictions for WAOcam. An optical model was also developed to maximize the field of view of the camera detector. WAOcam was designed using SolidWorks (3D modeling Software), the parts files from the designing process were also used to machine the instrument. The manufacturing of the WAOcam involved using the following: Computer Numerical Control (CNC) lathe, CNC mill, drill press, and a Waterjet (cutting machine). The manufacturing process also required learning of Omax (software for the Waterjet) and MasterCam 9.1 (software for the CNC lathe and CNC mill). The resulting product is WAOcam, which consists of three modules: 1) vacuum dewar (houses a CCD detector), 2) shutter (controls when light hits the camera detector), and 3) filter wheel (modifies the light before hitting the detector). The remaining work left on the WAOcam is the installation of two additional modules: 1) a four port instrument rotator and 2) a field rotator. This upgrade will allow for occultation observations, strip scanning surveys, and Kuiper Belt Object (KBOs) astrometry to be obtained using the 24" telescope.