VASAO: visible all sky adaptive optics: a new adaptive optics concept for CFHT

Olivier Lai; Christian Veillet; Derrick Salmon; Kevin Ho; Marc R. Baril; Gregory A. Barrick; Jim Thomas; Douglas Teeple; Tom Benedict; Jean Paul Pique; Hugues Guillet de Chatellus

doi:10.1117/12.789666

14 July 2008 VASAO: visible all sky adaptive optics: a new adaptive optics concept for CFHT

Olivier Lai, Christian Veillet, Derrick Salmon, Kevin Ho, Marc R. Baril, Gregory A. Barrick, Jim Thomas, Douglas Teeple, Tom Benedict, Jean Paul Pique, Hugues Guillet de Chatellus

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7015, Adaptive Optics Systems; 701543 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.789666
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

VASAO is an ambitious project that explores new conceptual direction in the field of astronomical adaptive optics. In the era of 8 meter and larger telescopes, and their instrument costs and telescope time pressure, there is a natural niche for such ground-breaking conceptual development in the 4 meter class telescope. The aim of VASAO is to provide diffraction limited imaging in the visible with 100% sky coverage; the challenge (but potential rewards) arises from the simultaneity of these requirements. To this end, CFHT is conducting a feasibility study based on the polychromatic guide star concept (Foy et al., 1995 [4]) coupled with a high order curvature AO system, presented in this paper. A number of experiments have been started (or carried out) to study the challenges and limits of the techniques involved in an operational setting; these include the FlyEyes detector, and a polychromatic tip-tilt test on natural stars. Because such a project straddles such a fine line between facility instrument and experimental facility, careful thought has to be given to the balance between modes of operations and potential astrophysical targets.

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Olivier Lai, Christian Veillet, Derrick Salmon, Kevin Ho, Marc R. Baril, Gregory A. Barrick, Jim Thomas, Douglas Teeple, Tom Benedict, Jean Paul Pique, and Hugues Guillet de Chatellus "VASAO: visible all sky adaptive optics: a new adaptive optics concept for CFHT", Proc. SPIE 7015, Adaptive Optics Systems, 701543 (14 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.789666

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