Planewave Europe

Fused Silica

Fused Silica is a synthetic amorphous silica glass of the highest purity and one of the most transparent glasses made. The optical and thermal properties of fused silica are superior to other types of glass due to its purity. Its transmission and homogeneity exceed those of crystalline quartz without the problems of temperature instability inherent in the crystalline form. Fused Silica has a coefficient of thermal expansion six times lower than Borosilicate (Pyrex) glass, which means that as fused silica cools down, it preserves its shape to a high degree of accuracy. This translates into consistent optical performance and unchanging focus over temperature changes. With its high melting temperature ()~ 1.600 degree Celsius), a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and resistance to thermal shock, fused silica is the material of choice for professional observatories as well as various scientific applications.

Spot diagrams

At this point, we will show you a spot diagram, to convince you about the high image quality of the CDK14. On the left column, the diagram shows a diffraction simulation for 14" CDK optics on the optical axis, and with a distance of 13- or 35mm to the optical axis. And the right column shows the calculated spot diagram. The small squares in the diagram are 9 micrometer (0.009 mm) wide.

The diameter of a star at the edge of the flat field corresponds to the pixel size of current large-format CCD chips and the imaging quality of the optics is limited only by the seeing conditions and the quality of the tracking. The large field of view of 70mm diameter offers enough tolerance for CCD cameras with ever larger chips - also for amateur astronomy.

Scope of delivery

Heating elements for dew prevention – The heating pads on the primary and secondary mirror require the #1329110 Delta-T controller and sold separately
OTA cover – To protect the primary mirror and inside of the optical tube
Flash Drive – Contains software and instructions for collimation and spacing the primary to the secondary mirror
Wrench set (5812A35) – Standard hex wrenches (European Orders Only)
Soft cover for secondary mirror
12v AC adapter

Shipping: dimensions and weight

Width

31 inch (787mm)

Height

26 inch (660mm)

Length

53 inch (1346mm)

Weight

225 lbs (102.1 kg)

The information is only a rough estimate! The actual shipping dimensions and weight may differ.

Recommended Accessories