Compliant Baffle for Large Telescope Daylight Imaging

Abstract : With the recent interest in daylight imaging, a baffle was needed to reduce background light during the day but not impact wind loading induced jitter on the 3.6 m telescope. Analysis was performed to design a compliant baffle out of a synthetic fabric that satisfied these requirements. Initial testing showed that static loading increased as predicted by classical wind drag analysis techniques, and wind induced jitter remained the same or decreased slightly. This paper will present further testing to quantify this effect and offer a physical explanation based on the design analysis models and wind pressure data collected with and without the baffle installed. The metric used to quantify jitter will be a comparison of angular rate sensors and accelerometers mounted on the telescope.