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One of the major objectives of the optomechanics is to support large optics required for the purpose and also to maintain high dynamic stability in operation. This requirement calls for more number of supports, to support large optics. While addressing this issue, the mounting system tends to become non-kinematic and distorts the optical surface and leads to poor image quality. The distorted optical surfaces bring in increased RMS surface wavefront errors which will result in poor image quality. In this context, a new concept is proposed in our previous publication (Nagabhushana et al., 2021) which involves introduction of deformable bushes at the optomechanical interfaces. These are deformed by applied clamping forces and also enabling all degrees of freedom (DOF) to be arrested. This also ensures that the clamping force in axial DOF is limited to a minimal value. This technique enables to arrest of axial DOF without exerting the clamping force on the optomechanical assembly there by reduces optical aberrations and improves the mounting system's dynamic stability. This is because deformable bushes absorb all the clamping forces and the strain has no impact on the mount and therefore does not lead deformation of the optical surface. The clamping forces are simulated by Finite Element (FE) methods. Further, in this paper, the concept is verified and validated by experiments. The simulation results are observed to be in close correlation with experiment results. Improved stability is also observed by additional constraints introduced to optomechanical mounts with no compromise in wavefront errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a continuous need to enhance the aperture size of telescopes by astronomers to explore the space much deeper by getting better resolutions and high image quality. Supporting large optics and maintaining high dynamic stability involves more number of constraints. This renders optical surface more distorted and results in poor image quality, since the image quality deteriorates with increase in RMS surface error. A new approach is proposed to introduce deformable bushes at the interfaces. These are tuned to deform under specific clamping force and thus arrests all Degrees of Freedom (DOF). This limits the clamping force exerted by an axial DOF ( U z ) to an insignificant value. This approach helps to arrest U z without imposing clamping stress on the opto-mechanical mount and brings down optical aberrations and enhances dynamic stability of the mounting system. This due to the fact that all clamping forces are taken by deformable bushes and the stress is not transferred to mount and thus does not contribute to non-uniformity of the optical surface. The non-uniformity of the optical surfaces influenced by clamping forces is simulated by Finite Element (FE) techniques. The use of deformable bush approach in minimizing optical aberrations and stability enhanced by additional constraints to opto-mechanical mounts are demonstrated by simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]