Panel gap cover for millimetre-wave antenna

The reflector of the 10 m diameter, millimetre-wave, South Pole Telescope has been equipped with reflecting covers over the gaps between panels. The covers are thin metal strips that lie on the surface of the panels, with spring clip retainers that engage steps in the panel edges. Covering the gaps reduces thermal noise from the reflector by ∼2 K at the expense of increasing the surface profile error by ∼11 µm rms.