Present status of the ILMT hardware

Abstract

audience: researcher, popularizationThe aim of this presentation is to introduce the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) project and to establish the latest advances in its hardware development. The presentation will begin with a brief introduction on the basics of liquid mirrors. The elements required to complete the mirror in order to get a functional liquid mirror telescope will then be reviewed. The particularities of Liquid Mirror Telescopes will then be discussed and the advantages they represent for specific scientific objectives will be explained. In particular, the ILMT scientific drivers will be presented. Once the project and its scientific interest will have been introduced, we will talk about the current status of the ILMT hardware: the status of the container, the mechanical structure, the optical corrector and the CCD camera will be briefly summarized. The recent evolution will be emphasized. Finally, we will address what still needs to be done in the ILMT development.ARC - Actions de recherche concertées; The International Liquid Mirror Telescop