Re: [ATM] Subject: light weight mirrors--mylar!

["Christopher Todd" <christopher.todd@gmail.com>]

Has anyone ever considered using some kind of metal film and deforming it
with electromagnets?  You can imagine the possibilities, being able to vary
the strength of the magnetic field by varying current, and using many
relatively small electromagnets, would give you lots of flexibility.  The
key, obviously, would be to find the right material for the film.  Alas, I
am not a metallurgist or engineer, so I won't be the one to try this.  I'm
sure someone else must have thought of this before, so I'm curious if
anything ever came of it.

Chris

> -----Original Message-----
> From: atm-bounces@atmlist.net 
> [mailto:atm-bounces@atmlist.net] On Behalf Of fundo@bellsouth.net
> Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:42 PM
> To: Richard Schwartz; ATMLIST
> Subject: Re: [ATM] Subject: light weight mirrors--mylar!
> 
> We had a discussion several years ago on the list about 
> plastics.  One of the problems is that they absorb more water 
> that most folks realize.  
> 
> There is the possibility that Mylar or some polymer could be 
> molded with a varying thickness that would produce a parabola 
> when flexed either mechanically or via air pressure 
> reduction.  I believe that Peter Chen was looking into 
> something along this line at some point.  The problem, as 
> always, is getting a suitable optical surface to aluminize.  
> I think we already have the technical ability to make 
> continuous adjustments due to varying temperature and air 
> pressure through an observing session.
> 
> *****-----
> Dan F.
> Memphis, TN
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> ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/
> 

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