The Simons Observatory: Improved Cryogenic Struts for use in the Large Aperture Telescope Receiver

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Orlowski-Scherer, John, Kofman, Anna, Bhandarkar, Tanay, Devlin, Mark, Haridas, Saianeesh K., Iuliano, Jeff, Manduca, Alex, Thornton, Robert J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Orlowski-Scherer, John
Kofman, Anna
Bhandarkar, Tanay
Devlin, Mark
Haridas, Saianeesh K.
Iuliano, Jeff
Manduca, Alex
Thornton, Robert J.
author_facet Orlowski-Scherer, John
Kofman, Anna
Bhandarkar, Tanay
Devlin, Mark
Haridas, Saianeesh K.
Iuliano, Jeff
Manduca, Alex
Thornton, Robert J.
contents The Simons Observatory Large Aperture Telescope Receiver (SO LATR) is a next generation Cosmic Microwave Background camera equipped with > 60, 000 detectors operating at 100 mK. Maintaining these detectors at the correct temperatures and locations requires stiff, cryogenically insulating struts. In this paper we report the design and performance of a novel glue joint in a strut used in the SO LATR to achieve the required performance. We use a tapped hole and set screw to create a profile on the exterior and interior wall of the glue joint, respectively, which greatly increases the strength of that joint by changing the failure mode from adhesive to cohesive. The failure mode of the resulting glue joint is cohesive with a yield strength 10% higher than a comparable smooth-walled design, and an ultimate strength 33% higher. Comparisons of the measured yield strength to the predicted axial load on the strut from simulations results in a factor of safety for the strut of 7. These struts have been installed in the SO LATR for three years and have undergone numerous thermal cycles from 300 K to 100 mK with no evidence of damage to the glue joint.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_21975
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Simons Observatory: Improved Cryogenic Struts for use in the Large Aperture Telescope Receiver
Orlowski-Scherer, John
Kofman, Anna
Bhandarkar, Tanay
Devlin, Mark
Haridas, Saianeesh K.
Iuliano, Jeff
Manduca, Alex
Thornton, Robert J.
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
The Simons Observatory Large Aperture Telescope Receiver (SO LATR) is a next generation Cosmic Microwave Background camera equipped with > 60, 000 detectors operating at 100 mK. Maintaining these detectors at the correct temperatures and locations requires stiff, cryogenically insulating struts. In this paper we report the design and performance of a novel glue joint in a strut used in the SO LATR to achieve the required performance. We use a tapped hole and set screw to create a profile on the exterior and interior wall of the glue joint, respectively, which greatly increases the strength of that joint by changing the failure mode from adhesive to cohesive. The failure mode of the resulting glue joint is cohesive with a yield strength 10% higher than a comparable smooth-walled design, and an ultimate strength 33% higher. Comparisons of the measured yield strength to the predicted axial load on the strut from simulations results in a factor of safety for the strut of 7. These struts have been installed in the SO LATR for three years and have undergone numerous thermal cycles from 300 K to 100 mK with no evidence of damage to the glue joint.
title The Simons Observatory: Improved Cryogenic Struts for use in the Large Aperture Telescope Receiver
topic Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21975