Mitigating wind induced telescope jitter

Wind is a well known performance detractor for telescope pointing. A dome is often used for larger telescopes to minimize the wind load on the telescope. However, the dome does not eliminate the impact of wind but rather alters its static and dynamic load on the telescope structure. Unfortunately, predicting the interaction of the wind and dome on telescope performance is quite difficult so even a dome design that mitigates wind effects does not allow the telescope control designer to ignore the wind load. The control system must be prepared for on-site modifications to accommodate a dynamic wind disturbance and the combined telescope control and structure design dictate available control solution methods and their effectiveness. This paper quantifies the impact of wind induced jitter at the system level and examines the nature of the wind disturbance and control system solution alternatives. While the chosen solution is straightforward, its practical implementation involves subtleties in the control and structure cooperative design. The author employs recent test data to support the conclusions.