Structure analysis of the primary mirror support for the TIM using computer-aided finite element method

The Mexican Infrared Telescope is one of the most important projects in the Institute for Astronomy of the National University of Mexico. As part of the design we pretend to simulate different components of the telescope by the Finite Element Method (FEM). One of the most important parts of the structure is the primary mirror support. This structure is under stress, causing deformations in the primary mirror; these deformations shouldn't be over 40 nanometers, which is the maximum permissible tolerance. One of the most interesting subjects to develop in this project is to make the segmented primary mirror to work like if it were a monolithic one. Each segment has six degrees of freedom, whose control needs actuators and sensors with stiff mechanical structures. Our purpose is to achieve these levels of design using FEM aided by computer and we pretend to study several models of the structure array using the Conceptual Design Method, in an effort to optimize the design.