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Description:
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A continuous deformable membrane mirror can be fabricated using MEMS processes . It will have a highly reflective thin membrane , which is the mirror surface , and a number of actuators below it . The shape of the mirror surface is controlled by inducing an electrostatic force through applying a voltage between the mirror surface and the actuators . Small displacements of a membrane under tension are governed by Poisson's equation . The solutions of this equation determine the deflections in the vertical direction for different pressures applied at various surface points , due to various electrode positions . This thesis examines the influence of number , position , thickness of the electrodes and also the electrostatic pressure applied by each electrode on the surface of the mirror . A Matlab Graphical User Interface is designed that computes the deflections and uses iterative methods to optimize the voltages on the electrodes , their position and thickness . It produces a deformable membrane design that will match the surface of the mirror to that of a spherical mirror of known radius of curvature . |