Liquid mirrors

Abstract

The surface of a spinning liquid takes the shape of a paraboloid that can be used as a reflecting mirror. This very old and nearly forgotten concept has recently been revived and I review its present status. Extensive interferometric tests of liquid mirrors (the largest one having a diameter of 2.5 m) show excellent optical qualities. I discuss the factors that can limit the optical quality of liquid mirrors, how to minimize them as well as the basic technology. A handful of liquid mirrors have now been built that are used for scientific work. I show representative data obtained from 2.65 m diameter liquid mirror telescopes used for astronomy and the atmospheric sciences (LIDAR). Section 5, of particular interest to cosmologists or astronomers using surveys, examines the expected performance of 4 m liquid mirror telescopes (LMTs) dedicated to cosmological surveys. It is rather impressive, due to the fact that the instruments work full-time on 4 year surveys: Spectrophotometry reaches B = 24 for all objects within over 100 square degrees and wide-band photometry reaches about B = 28. I consider the future of liquid mirror telescopes: limits to their sizes, engineering issues, as well as speculations on lunar or space LMTs. I briefly mention the possibility of nonrotating GRIN (gradient index) liquid mirrors. Finally, I address the issues of the field accessible to LMTs equipped with novel optical correctors. Optical design work, and some exploratory laboratory work, indicate that a single LMT should be able to access, with excellent images, small regions anywhere inside fields as large as 45°.