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Vega may have a massive companion in a wide orbit, as evidenced by structure in its cold dust debris. We have tested this hypothesis by direct imaging with adaptive optics in the M band. The observations were made with a newly commissioned thermal infrared camera, Clio, on the 6.5 MMT AO system with low-background deformable secondary. The observations constrain a planet to be less than 7 M$_J$ at the approximate position angle expected from the dust structure and at a radius $>$ 20AU (2.5 arcsec) . This result is more stringent than similar previous near-infrared observations of Vega, that achieve limits of 20 and 10 M$_J$ at separations of 7 arcsec. The higher sensitivity is due both to the more favorable contrast of gas giant planets at M band and to the higher Strehl and more stable point spread function at longer wavelengths. Future L' or M band observations could provide a powerful approach for wide separation planet detection, especially for cooler, and thus older or less massive planets. The natural best targets are nearby stars where planets in the range of 5-15 M$_J$ and as old as several Gyr are expected to be detectable with this technique., Comment: accepted to ApJ June 6, 2006

Adaptive optics to correct current telescopes over wide fields, or future very large telescopes over even narrow fields, will require real-time wavefront measurements made with a constellation of laser beacons. Here we report the first such measurements, made at the 6.5 m MMT with five Rayleigh beacons in a 2 arcmin pentagon. Each beacon is made with a pulsed beam at 532 nm, of 4 W at the exit pupil of the projector. The return is range-gated from 20-29 km and recorded at 53 Hz by a 36-element Shack-Hartmann sensor. Wavefronts derived from the beacons are compared with simultaneous wavefronts obtained for individual natural stars within or near the constellation. Observations were made in seeing averaging 1.0 arcsec with 2/3 of the aberration measured to be from a ground layer of mean height 380 m. Under these conditions, subtraction of the simple instantaneous average of the five beacon wavefronts from the stellar wavefronts yielded a 40% rms reduction in the measured modes of the distortion over a 2 arcmin field. We discuss the use of multiple Rayleigh beacons as an alternative to single sodium beacons on 8 m telescopes, and the impact of the new work on the design of a multi-sodium beacon system for the 25 m Giant Magellan Telescope., Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, uses aastex.cls, to be published in the Astrophys. J

We present the results of mid-infrared nulling interferometric observations of the main-sequence star alpha Lyr (Vega) using the 6.5 m MMT with its adaptive secondary mirror. From the observations at 10.6 microns, we find that there is no resolved emission from the circumstellar environment (at separations greater than 0.8 AU) above 2.1% (3 sigma limit) of the level of the stellar photospheric emission. Thus, we are able to place an upper limit on the density of dust in the inner system of 650 times that of our own solar system's zodiacal cloud. This limit is roughly 2.8 times better than those determined with photometric excess observations such as those by IRAS. Comparison with far-infrared observations by IRAS shows that the density of warm dust in the inner system (< 30 AU) is significantly lower than cold dust at larger separations. We consider two scenarios for grain removal, the sublimation of ice grains and the presence of a planetary mass "sweeper." We find that if sublimation of ice grains is the only removal process, a large fraction (> 80%) of the material in the outer system is ice., Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, Accepted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters

A prototype cross-dispersed optical echelle spectrograph of very high resolution has been designed and built at Steward Observatory and tested at the Starfire Optical Range (SOR) 1.5 m telescope. It is the first spectrograph to take advantage of diffraction-limited images provided by adaptive optics in order to achieve a potential resolving power of $R \sim 600,000$. The wavelength coverage in a single exposure is about 300 \AA, which is approximately 100 times that of conventional spectrographs operating at comparable resolution. This was achieved by recording 60 cross-dispersed orders across the $18\times 18$ mm$^2$ area of the CCD detector. The total efficiency of the system, including the sky and telescope transmission, spectrograph and CCD detector, is measured to be 1.3% at peak, much higher than that of other ultra-high-resolution spectrographs. Sample stellar spectra with $R \sim 250,000$ are presented., Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in PASP August issue

Weak gravitational lensing enables direct reconstruction of dark matter maps over cosmologically significant volumes. This research is currently telescope-limited. The Dark Matter Telescope (DMT) is a proposed 8.4 m telescope with a 3 degree field of view, with an etendue of 260 $(m. degree)^2$, ten times greater than any other current or planned telescope. With its large etendue and dedicated observational mode, the DMT fills a nearly unexplored region of parameter space and enables projects that would take decades on current facilities. The DMT will be able to reach 10-sigma limiting magnitudes of 27-28 magnitude in the wavelength range .3 - 1 um over a 7 square degree field in 3 nights of dark time. Here we review its unique weak lensing cosmology capabilities and the design that enables those capabilities., Comment: in-press version with additions; to appear in proceedings of the Dark Matter 2000 conference (Santa Monica, February 2000) to be published by Springer

In this paper we develop an analytical expression relating the sensitivity to a periodic signal to the duration and accuracy of a given set of data. The effects of windowing are explored, and also the sensitivity to periods longer than the total length of observations. As specific examples, we outline the performance of our technique on large amplitude and large eccentricity radial velocity signals recently discussed in the literature and we delineate the region explored by the measurements of 14 single stars made over a twelve year period by Walker et al. (1995). Had any of these stars shown motion like that caused by the exo-planets recently detected, it would have been easily detected. Finally, we suggest an observing strategy for future large radial velocity surveys which, if implemented, will allow coverage of the largest range of parameter space with the smallest amount of observing time per star. We suggest that about 10-15 measurements be made of each star in the first two years of the survey, then 2--3 measurements per year thereafter, provided no (or slow) variation is observed. More frequent observations would of course be indicated if such variations were present., Comment: 36 pages including 11 encapsulated figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

The first time simultaneous measurements of sodium column density and the absolute flux from a sodium laser guide star, created by a monochromatic 3 W cw laser, tuned to the peak of the sodium D2 hyperfine structure, were conducted at the MMT and CFA 60 inch telescope in 1997. The results show that linearly and circularly polarized laser returns are proportional to the simultaneous sodium column density. Moreover, circularly polarized laser provides about 30% increase in fluorescent return over linearly polarized laser. A laser guide star with R = 10.3 mag. or absolute flux of 8.4x10^5 photons/s/m^2, could be formed from a 1 watt projected circularly polarized sodium laser beam when sodium layer abundance N(Na) = 3.7x10^9 /cm^2. Together with the distributed column density measurements (e.g. seasonal and diurnal variations), we can project laser power requirements for any specified guide star brightness. The mesosphere sodium column density variation was measured above Tucson sky throughout the year, through sodium absorption line measurements in stellar and solar spectra. Previous measurements, e.g. Papen et al, 1996, have not been made at this latitude (32 degrees). Further, our absorption method is more direct and may be more accurate than the lidar methods normally used. The seasonal variation amplitude is smaller than that at higher latitudes. While the annual mean sodium column density tends to be lower than at higher latitudes. Diurnal sodium column density tends to vary by as much as a factor of two within an hour., Comment: Proceeding of ESO Workshop on Laser Technology and Laser Guide Star for Adaptive Optics Astronomy, Garching, 1997, in press, 6 pages and 4 figs included, also available at http://qso.as.arizona.edu/~jge/projects.html

A prototype ultrahigh resolution spectrograph has been built with an adaptive optics telescope. It provides $250,000$ resolving power, 300 \AA\ wavelength coverage and 0.8\% efficiency., Comment: Review paper; 13 pages with 7 figs included. Also available from "http://qso.as.arizona.edu/~jge/projects.html"

Ultraviolet spectropolarimetry acquired with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the peculiar Seyfert galaxy Mrk 231 is combined with new high-quality ground-based measurements to provide the first, nearly complete, record of its linear polarization from 1575 to 7900 A. The accompanying ultraviolet spectrum portrays the heavily extinguished emission-line spectrum of the active nucleus plus the emergence of a blue continuum shortward of approximately 2400 A. In addition, absorption features due to He I lambda 3188, Mg I lambda 2853, Mg II lambda 2798, and especially several resonance multiplets of Fe II are identified with a well-known optical absorption system blueshifted approximately 4600 km/s with respect to emission lines. The continuum is attributed to approximately 10(exp 5) hot, young stars surrounding the nucleus. This component dilutes the polarized nuclear light, implying that the intrinsic polarization of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) spectrum approaches 20% at 2800 A. The rapid decline in degree of polarization toward longer wavelengths is best explained by the strongly frequency-dependent scattering cross section of dust grains coupled with modest starlight dilution. Peculiar S-shaped inflections in both the degree and position angle of polarization through H alpha and other major emission lines are interpreted as effects of scattering from two regions offset in velocity by several hundred km/s. A third source of (weakly) polarized flux is required to explain a nearly 40 deg rotation in position angle between 3200 and 1800 A. The displaced absorption features, polarimetry, and optical/infrared properties of Mrk 231 all point to its classification as a low-ionization, or Mg II broad absorption line quasar, in which most, if not all, lines of sight to the active nucleus are heavily obscured by dust and low-ionization gas clouds.

We present ultraviolet spectropolarimetry of the BL Lac objects OJ 287 and 0754+100 (0I 090.4) acquired with the Faint Object Spectrograph of the Hubble Space Telescope. These are the first such observations of radio-selected BL Lac objects and the polarimetry spans the wavelength range 1580-3300 A in the observer's frame. Neither object exhibited emission-line features in their UV spectra. OJ 287 was very faint during the UV observations (V approximately 16). The UV linear polarization of this object was approximately 20%. There is no indication that the degree of polarization or the polarization position angle varies with wavelength. Nearly simultaneous optical ground-based measurements show that the polarization does not significantly change with wavelength out to approximately 8000 A. The UV and optical polarization of 0754+100 was approximately 8% and also wavelength-independent during the epoch of observation. These observations confirm that the synchrotron emission that dominates the optical continuum also dominates in the ultraviolet in these two BL Lac objects. There is no evidence for significant contributions to the UV/optical flux by other emission components, and we set limits on the brightness of nonsynchrotron continuum components.

HST and Faint Object Spectrograph spectropolarimetry is presented for the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304; attention is given to the wavelength dependence of the UV linear polarization in a BL Lac object. The UV polarimetry yields evidence that the UV polarized flux is generated by the synchrotron mechanism responsible for optical polarization. Both the UV and optical emission are produced in the same region of the source.

A near-infrared adaptive optics system operating at about 50 Hz has been used to control phase errors adaptively between two mirrors of the Multiple Mirror Telescope by stabilizing the position of the interference fringe in the combined unresolved far-field image. The resultant integrated images have angular resolutions of better than 0.1 arcsec and fringe contrasts of more than 0.6. Measurements of wave-front tilt have confirmed the wavelength independence of image motion. These results show that interferometric sensing of phase errors, when combined with a system for sensing the wave-front tilt of the individual telescopes, will provide a means of achieving a stable diffraction-limited focus with segmented telescopes or arrays of telescopes.

It is shown here that a space telescope of 16 m diameter, apodized in a new way, could image and measure oxygen n in the thermal infrared spectral of earthlike planets up to 4 pc away. The problems of visible light imaging for this case are discussed, and it is argued that imaging the thermal emission, with greatly reduced requirements for gain and hence surface accuracy, is preferable. The requirements for such imaging are discussed, including the apodization solution.

Taking as a starting point the existing Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT), a concept for a larger and more advanced instrument has been developed. It makes use of four 7.5-m diameter paraboloidal glass primaries of the honeycomb sandwich type being developed by the University of Arizona. These are mounted quite close together in a square configuration, with their axes coaligned. Separate optical configurations are provided, for optical and infrared applications. To minimze telescope emissivity in the thermal infrared at the combined focus, all the beam combining and streering optics that follow the tertiary mirrors are enclosed in a large central dewar and cooled with liquid nitrogen. The diffraction-limited resolution at the combined focus of 0.11 arcsec at 10 micrometers wavelength is equivalent to that of a 20.5 meter filled aperture. Diffraction-limited resolution should be routinely achievable at 10 and 20 micrometers, if active correction of large-scale wavefront errors is implemented.

Directed jets of ambient temperature air are proposed for the maintenance of low internal temperature gradients and conformity with ambient temperatures in honeycomb-structure borosilicate glass telescope mirrors. The use of greater airflow on thicker sections, to match cooling rates, and the cooling or heating of the internal, back, and edge surfaces of the mirror at the same rate established by convection on the front surface, have been tested on a full scale glass thermal model of a single honeycomb cell from an 8-m diameter mirror. The internal thermal gradient (less than 0.1 C) and ambient-temperature-change lag (less than 0.24 C) ensure minimum image degradation.

Thin CCDs with precise control of thickness and surface quality allow astronomers to optimize chips for specific applications. A means of mechanically thinning a TI 800 x 800 CCD with an abrasive slurry of aluminum oxide is presented. Using the same techniques, the abrasives can be replaced with a chemical solution to eliminate subsurface damage. A technique of mounting the CCD which retains the high quality surface generated during thinning is also demonstrated. This requires the backside of the chip to be bonded to a glass window which closely matches silicon's thermal expansion properties. Thinned CCDs require backside treatment to enhance blue and UV quantum efficiency. Two methods are discussed which may be effective with this mounting system.

Accomplishments in the development of lightweight, honeycomb-core, sandwich mirror blanks made of borosilicate and high-silica glasses at the University of Arizona for the Large Deployable Reflector program are described. In this paper, work spanning the last 2 years is reported, highlighting a new mirror blank fabrication technique that permits the fabrication of the honeycomb core integrally with the front and back plates of the blank in a single furnace cycle. Two types of mirror blanks made by this method, an off-axis, aspheric segment and a smaller Vycor circular piece, are described. The fabrication of two off-axis, aspheric mirror segments is also described. Cryogenic test results are included on the test of a 38-cm diameter, lightweight, honeycomb core, sandwich mirror made of Pyrex.

One of the most useful tasks to be carried out at the Space Station will be the making of large precision telescopes. It will become possible to assemble optics bigger than can be launched in one piece. A further step would be to take advantage of extraordinarily favorable conditions in space for testing and even manufacturing optics. In this short paper, these two aspects are considered.

The capability and understanding of how to finish the reflector surfaces needed for large space telescopes is discussed. The technology for making very light glass substrates for mirrors is described. Other areas of development are in wide field imaging design for very fast primaries, in data analysis and retrieval methods for astronomical images, and in methods for making large area closely packed mosaics of solid state array detectors.

The Hubble Space Telescope uses a primary mirror having an area of 5 sq m. The mirrors needed for two possible future telescopes, 50 sq m and 500 sq m in area, are considered. The former would be an 8-m diameter monolithic mirror of 'zero-expansion' glass, and would be diffraction-limited at optical wavelengths (0.015 arcsecond images). The 500 sq m mirror, the area proposed for the Large Deployable Reflector, would be diffraction-limited down to 30-micron wavelength (0.3 arcsecond images). Both types of mirror could be of honeycomb sandwich construction made by a new 'air inflation' method. The larger reflector would consist of ultralightweight glass panels.

A four-element, nonredundant array telescope-interferometer for ground use is discussed. The elements are 8-meter mirrors, and the maximum array spacing and two element spacing are 75 m and of 108 m, respectively. The array may be used as three separate telescopes, one of 11.3 m and two of 8 m, for work not requiring highest angular resolution. The problems of making speckle measures to high enough precision for synthetic images to be produced are discussed. It is shown that the high resolution presents opportunities for making types of observation that are possible with neither the VLBA nor the National New Technology Telescope.

Design objectives, constraints, and optical data are presented for specific corrector designs under consideration for several large telescope projects. These include a preliminary 30-arcmin prime focus (f/2.0) refracting field corrector system for the University of California Ten-Meter Telescope (UC TMT); a compact 40-arcmin internal Cassegrain (f/1.75 hyperbola to f/5.0) broad-passband (3300 A to 1.0 micron) corrector suitable for imaging and multi-object spectroscopy at the UC TMT; three 60-arcmin Cassegrain correctors for 300-inch f/1.8 and f/2.0 parabolic primary mirrors suitable for a Fifteen-Meter NNTT/MMT; and a 300-inch 40-arcmin external Cassegrain (f/1.0 parabola to f/4.0) broad-passband (3300 A to 1.0 micron) corrector with ADC.

The design, fabrication techniques, and equipment used for producing two 1.8-m honeycomb sandwich blanks, eventually leading to production of 8-m blanks, are reported. The procedure employed 85 cast hexagonal tiles at the bottom section, affixed against flotation by SiC bolts. The two plano concave mirrors are 1.83 m thick, weight 500 kg, and are each designed for 19 supports of astatic-lever type. Both blanks are of high quality and with an adequately low bubble content; one is to be figured to high-precision 0.25-arcsecond images, and is to be tested on the Multiple Mirror Telescope. Construction of a spin-casting facility based on the same principle is being planned for test-fabricating spin-cast mirrors on a smaller scale.

The tolerances in glass homogeneity, thermal control, and support of the blank, necessary to meet the requirements of telescopes in the best ground-based sites, are defined for a hypothetical 8-m honeycomb mirror spin-casting facility. Homogeneity in expansion coefficient of 10 to the -8th/C and thermal equilibration to 0.1 C are estimated. Laboratory measurements show that both can be met by a ventilated honeycomb of borosilicate or similar glass. Adequate resistance to wind pressure and buffeting can be achieved by an axial support that responds to pressure on the three defining points. Annealing of the blank at the peak cooling rate of 20 C/day will take about six weeks, leading to a temporary stress of 15 kg/sq cm.