Ultra lightweight mirror performance at 8 degrees kelvin

Earlier work funded by DARPA, evaluating the optical stability of a 0.5-m ultra-lightweight, frit-bonded, fused silica mirror, is extended from the previous 100 deg K specification down to 8 deg K. The thermal stability is excellent and comparable to that for conventional fusion and solid mirrors. The total mirror change of 0.10 lambda rms (lambda = 0.6328 microns) meets the needs of most IR systems. Thermal elastic quilting is excellent (0.008 lambda). Ames Research Center and Kodak data evaluations, done independently, are in very good agreement.