The ASTRI SST-2M Prototype: Structure and Mirror

The next generation of IACT (Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope) will explore the uppermost end of the VHE (Very High Energy) domain up to about few hundreds of TeV with unprecedented sensibility, angular resolution and imaging quality. To this end, INAF (Italian National Institute of Astrophysics) is currently developing a scientific and technological telescope prototype for the implementation of the CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array) observatory. ASTRI (Astrofisica con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana) foresees the full design, development, installation and calibration of a Small Size 4 meter class Telescope. The telescope, named SST–2M, is based on an aplanatic, wide field, double reflection optical layout in a Schwarzschild-Couder configuration. In this paper we report about the technological solutions adopted for the telescope and for the mirrors. In particular the structural and electro-mechanical design of the telescope and the results on the optical performance derived after the development of a prototype of the segments that will be assembled to form the