HIREX
On-Axis Mirror Mount
The on-axis mirror support design is drawn directly from the TRACE mirror
design. It consists of 3 parts:
-
The support plug,
-
The compression shaft,
-
The compression nut
The interface surfaces between the mirror and the mount are cast in place
using a mixture of epoxy and ground fused silica. The silica reduces the
coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the resulting compound while
increasing the viscosity of the mixture. A Teflon release agent is applied
to the surface of the mirror so that after the casting is made the mount
can be disassembled at will.
The support plug is fitted to the inside of the mirror to ensure mirror
centration to the required level. The compression nut is tightened to required
level to achieve the necessary pre-load. In this case that load will be
quite small; launch loads being carried by launch locks.

This design has been analyzed in order to determine the effects that this
system has on the mirror figure. The
results are discussed in this document.
Questions, comments pcheimets@cfa.harvard.edu