PIGS: first results on sky

Stephan Kellner; Roberto Ragazzoni; Wolfgang Gassler; Emiliano Diolaiti; Timothy J. Morris; Christopher D. Saunter; R. Meyers; Jacopo Farinato; Carmelo Arcidiacono; Adriano Ghedina

doi:10.1117/12.551722

25 October 2004 PIGS: first results on sky

Stephan Kellner, Roberto Ragazzoni, Wolfgang Gassler, Emiliano Diolaiti, Timothy J. Morris, Christopher D. Saunter, R. Meyers, Jacopo Farinato, Carmelo Arcidiacono, Adriano Ghedina

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5490, Advancements in Adaptive Optics; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551722
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

The next generation ground based telescopes deploy their full potential in terms of resolution only with Adaptive Optics (AO). A limiting factor for such systems is the sky coverage with natural guide stars. A way to overcome this problem is a artificial star, i.e. laser guide star (LGS) generated in the sodium layer of the mesosphere at an height of approximately 90km-100km. Sensing the wave front of such a LGS, whose photons are collected by a next generation ground based telescope up to 100m pupil diameter leads to new problems. They are related to the finite distance of the altitude where the artificial star forms with respect to the telescope entrance pupil. We present a new wave front sensing concept to overcome this problem and we show first results of an open loop experiment done on sky. Measurements have been carried out November 2003 with the Rayleigh laser of the University of Durham at the WHT in La Palma as a result of collaboration between MPIA and the AO group of the University of Durham. The geometry of the LGS created in 4km altitude with respect to the 4m aperture of the WHT scales by a factor 1:25 with a sodium LGS at 100km and a telescope with 100m entrance pupil diameter.

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Stephan Kellner, Roberto Ragazzoni, Wolfgang Gassler, Emiliano Diolaiti, Timothy J. Morris, Christopher D. Saunter, R. Meyers, Jacopo Farinato, Carmelo Arcidiacono, and Adriano Ghedina "PIGS: first results on sky", Proc. SPIE 5490, Advancements in Adaptive Optics, (25 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551722

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