Design of the tertiary optical system for the Large Latin American Millimeter Array radio telescope

TL;DR

This paper details the design process of a scalable, frequency-independent tertiary optical system for the LLAMA radio telescope, optimizing efficiency and minimizing aberrations across multiple receivers in the 30-950 GHz range.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive design methodology for a scalable, frequency-independent tertiary optical system validated through physical optics simulations and tolerance analysis.

Findings

Achieved a frequency-independent optical system for nearly all receivers.

Validated the design with physical optics simulations.

Demonstrated high optical performance for the telescope.

Abstract

Many modern radio telescopes employ an observational strategy that involves maximizing the use of their available spaces (cabins), outfitting them with various receivers at different frequencies to detect incoming signals from the sky simultaneously or individually. The Large Latin American Millimeter Array (LLAMA), is a joint venture between Argentina and Brazil consisting of the installation and operation of a 12-meter aperture Cassegrain telescope. It features three available cabins for instrumentation and plans to install six single-pixel heterodyne receivers, covering different bandwidths in the 30 to 950 GHz window of the electromagnetic spectrum, in its two lateral Nasmyth cabins at different phases of the project. Therefore, it is crucial not only to design a tertiary optical system that couples the antenna beam to those receivers, but also to do it in a scalable way. The primary goal for the design is to simultaneously maximize the antenna efficiency while minimizing optical aberrations for all receivers, both fundamental aspects for the optimal functioning of cutting-edge astronomical instruments. In this paper, we present the entire design process, starting from the quasi-optical approach based on the propagation of a fundamental Gaussian beam mode, continuing with the validation of the design based on physical optics simulations, and ending with a tolerance analysis of the system. As a result of this process, a frequency independent tertiary optical system has been achieved for almost all the receivers, which is expected to provide high optical performance for the radio telescope.