Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab

Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab
Name	Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab
Established	1995
Location	Tucson, Arizona
Institution	University of Arizona
Director	Roger Angel
Focus	Telescope mirror fabrication

Contents

Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab The Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab is a specialized fabrication facility at the University of Arizona that produces large, precision telescope mirrors using innovative casting and polishing methods. Located in Tucson, Arizona, the laboratory has supplied mirrors for major observatories and programs across projects associated with institutions such as National Optical Astronomy Observatory, W. M. Keck Observatory, Subaru Telescope, and the European Southern Observatory. The lab links industrial-scale manufacturing practices with academic research from departments including Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and partnerships with agencies like NASA, National Science Foundation, and private foundations such as the W. M. Keck Foundation.

History

The lab traces origins to mirror initiatives driven by astronomers linked to University of Arizona faculty including Roger Angel and collaborators from Steward Observatory and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Early work connected to projects at Kitt Peak National Observatory and legacy efforts from the Optical Fabrication and Testing Group led to casting techniques inspired by projects like the Multiple Mirror Telescope and the Palomar Observatory initiatives. Funding and leadership evolved through interactions with entities such as the National Science Foundation, the W. M. Keck Foundation, and donors including Richard F. Caris, with milestones tied to mirrors destined for Large Binocular Telescope, Magellan Telescopes, and forthcoming contributions to Giant Magellan Telescope and Thirty Meter Telescope consortia.

The lab occupies a purpose-built facility on the University of Arizona campus outfitted with equipment comparable to industrial partners such as Corning Incorporated and precision manufacturers associated with Honeywell International. Key installations include a 6.5-meter-class casting furnace influenced by practices at Corning's plant and polishing stations informed by techniques used at Zeiss and Schott AG. The facility integrates metrology instruments from vendors and research centers like National Institute of Standards and Technology, interferometers similar to those used at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and handling systems with engineering inputs from Raytheon Technologies. The lab supports cryogenic testing linked to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory programs and environmental controls employing standards echoed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.

The lab pioneered spin-casting of lightweight honeycomb borosilicate mirrors, a method drawing on materials from companies such as Schott AG and design principles used in mirrors at Palomar Observatory and W. M. Keck Observatory. Spin-casting combines rotational shaping practices akin to those in industrial glassmaking at Corning Incorporated with thermal annealing protocols developed through collaborations with National Institute of Standards and Technology and Sandia National Laboratories. The facility applies stressed-lap polishing techniques influenced by methods from Zeiss engineers and interferometric figuring using equipment standardized in laboratories like Jet Propulsion Laboratory and European Southern Observatory sites. Quality assurance uses interferometry and surface metrology comparable to systems deployed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The lab produced multiple 8.4-meter mirrors for the Large Binocular Telescope and segments for the Giant Magellan Telescope, supporting consortia that include institutions like Carnegie Institution for Science, Smithsonian Institution, and Australian National University. Its mirrors have been installed at facilities such as Magellan Telescopes, Subaru Telescope, and contributed to instrumentation projects with teams from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, and Princeton University. The laboratory’s outputs have enabled science programs connected to missions and observatories including Hubble Space Telescope follow-up studies, ground-based campaigns supporting James Webb Space Telescope targets, and survey science associated with collaborations involving European Southern Observatory and National Optical Astronomy Observatory partners.

Founding leadership included scientists affiliated with University of Arizona research programs and individuals collaborating with engineering groups from Raytheon Technologies and manufacturing specialists drawn from Corning Incorporated and Schott AG. Key academic collaborators span faculty from Steward Observatory, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and departments linked to institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University. Technical staff have had career movements to and from organizations including Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and private aerospace firms such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.

Research at the lab connects to scientific programs and partnerships with agencies and institutions like NASA, National Science Foundation, European Southern Observatory, Carnegie Institution for Science, and universities including University of Arizona, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and Australian National University. Collaborative efforts have interfaced with instrumentation teams at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, modeling groups at Princeton University, and materials science researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology. Joint projects include mirror production for observatories tied to consortia in Chile, Hawaii, and Australia, with technical exchanges involving Jet Propulsion Laboratory and European Southern Observatory engineering divisions.

The lab hosts tours and educational programs coordinated with outreach efforts from University of Arizona museums and centers such as the Flandrau Science Center and connects to public astronomy events involving Kitt Peak National Observatory and Steward Observatory star parties. Student training includes internships and thesis work with graduate programs at University of Arizona and visiting researchers from universities like Arizona State University, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London. Outreach partnerships involve collaborations with science foundations such as the W. M. Keck Foundation and public engagement initiatives linked to NASA and National Science Foundation educational programs.