I really suspect the material may not be acceptable for mirror use because of surface finish or not being able to polish the surface due to physical properties other than stiffness.
I wonder if the material is an outgrowth of the Shuttle Tiles - thermal management for re-entry?
Back to mirror grinding. I've decided to go back to 400 grit. The hole in the center is too deep! Shucks!
Bob
):-{])) <---- madden@netcom.com madden@svpal.org Remember amateur astronomers: "keep looking for the next Universe"
On Wed, 22 Mar 1995 HOFFMAN@wmich.edu wrote:
> IMHO, it silica aerogel wouldn't work as an optical mirror
> substrate. First, it is not "solid" solid - it is porous,
> so there is not a smooth surface to deposit a reflective
> film on. Second, while it may have a high "specific stiffness"
> (strength divided by weight) due to its very low density,
> it has a low absolute stiffness, so it is very difficult to
> handle without deformation. This would make it impossible to
> figure an optical surface on it.
> Richard Hoffman
>
>