Thermal expansion uniformity of materials for large telescope mirrors

Uniformity of thermal expansion has been measured for fused quartz and borosilicate glass. The variation of expansion coefficient for three melts of TO8E was 5 x 10 to the -9th/K over a temperature range of 300 to 100 K and was found to vary linearly with position in the melt. This spatial gradient averaged 3.5 x 10 to the -11th/K-cm. The room-temperature thermal expansivity variation of Duran (Tempax) glass was about 27 x 10 to the -9th/K, while that of E6 glass was about 52 x 10 to the -9th/K.