Analysis of segmented reflector antennas for a large millimeter wave radio telescope

The basic principles used in the Keck telescope have been applied to the design of a large segmented millimeter-wave radio telescope. The Large Millimeter Telescope is envisioned as a 50 m-diameter instrument operating at wavelengths as short as 1 mm, with a peak gain approached 100 dB. A geometry for the surface that has 126 hexagonal segments in a classical symmetric Cassegrain configuration has been developed. The effect of imperfect alignment of the surface segments on the far field radiation pattern of the antenna has been analyzed. Radiation patterns and efficiency calculations based on different levels of control system performance are presented.<>