AO4ELT 2

Palm-3000 on-sky results

Richard DEKANY — 2011-07-05T09:44:17Z

Submitted by R. Dekany

Authors

Dekany, R. (1), Roberts, J. (2), Burruss, R. (2), Truong, T. (2), Palmer, D. (2), Guiwits, S. (2,1), Hale, D. (1), Angione, J. (2), Baranec, C. (1), Croner, E. (1), Davis, J. T. C. (1), Zolkower, J. (1), Henning, J. (1), McKenna, D. (1), and Bouchez, A. H. (1)

Affiliations

1 Caltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109

Abstract

PALM-3000, the second-generation facility adaptive optics system for the 5-meter telescope at Palomar Observatory, successfully obtained first high-order correction on sky on UT June 21, 2011. Within PALM-3000, low-order wavefront correction is applied with a Xinetics, Inc. 349 (241 active) actuator deformable mirror reused from the 1999 PALAO system. High-order correction is applied with a new Xinetics, Inc. 4,356 (3,388 active) actuator deformable mirror based upon a 6 x 6 array of 11 x 11 actuator Photonex modules. The system also uses a new CCD50-based Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor camera and a novel real-time computer based upon a bank of commercial GPU's. Currently, the first of four planned wavefront sensor pupil sampling modes (N = 64 subapertures per pupil) has been tested, emphasizing early high-contrast exoplanet science with the PHARO coronagraphic imager and P1640 coronagraphic integral field spectrograph. We report on AO correction performance to date and our experience with the unique 66 x 66 actuator Xinetics, Inc. DM, as well as describe the PALM-3000 commissioning program and future plans.

Review of the GMT AO program

Antonin BOUCHEZ — 2011-07-05T09:42:49Z

Submitted by A. Bouchez

Authors

Antonin Bouchez

Affiliations

Giant Magellan Telescope

Abstract

TBD

Gemini South MCAO on-sky results

Francois RIGAUT — 2011-07-05T09:28:34Z

Submitted by F. Rigaut

Authors

François Rigaut

Affiliations

Gemini Observatory

Abstract

TBD

Toward the Adaptive Optics for the 40 m class European ELT

Norbert HUBIN — 2011-06-17T09:47:50Z

Submitted by N. Hubin

Authors

Norbert Hubin

Affiliations

ESO

Abstract

This paper will provide an overview of the recent pathfinders, technology developments and concept studies made in preparation of the construction of the Adaptive Optics facilities for the 40-m class European ELT. This paper will also focus on the progresses, challenges and remaining risks of the AO key technologies and concepts and will present an enabling technology roadmap to mitigate these risks in close cooperation with the ESO community and industry.

The TMT Adaptive Optics Program

Brent ELLERBROEK — 2011-06-15T08:34:21Z

Submitted by B. Ellerbroek

Authors

Brent Ellerbroek

Affiliations

TMT Observatory Corporation

Abstract

We provide an overview of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) AO program, with an emphasis upon the progress made since the first AO4ELT conference held in 2009.

The first light facility AO system for TMT is the Narrow Field Infra-Red AO System (NFIRAOS), which will provide diffraction-limited performance in the J, H, and K bands over 18-30 arc sec diameter fields with 50% sky coverage at the galactic pole. This is accomplished with order 60x60 wavefront sensing and correction, two deformable mirrors conjugate to ranges of 0 and 11.2 km, 6 sodium laser guide stars in an asterism with a diameter of 70 arc sec, and three low order (tip/tilt or tip/tilt focus), infra-red natural guide star (NGS) wavefront sensors deployable within a 2 arc minute diameter patrol field. The first light LGS asterism is generated by the Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF), which initially incorporates 6 20-25W class laser systems mounted to the telescope elevation journal, a mirror-based beam transfer optics system, and a 0.4m diameter laser launch telescope located behind the TMT secondary mirror.

Future plans for additional AO capabilities include a mid infra-red AO (MIRAO) system to support science instruments in the 4-20 micron range, a ground-layer AO (GLAO) system for wide-field spectroscopy, a multi-object AO (MOAO) system for multi-object integral field unit spectroscopy, and extreme AO (ExAO) for high contrast imaging.

Significant progress has been made in developing the first-light AO architecture since 2009. This includes the adoption of a new NFIRAOS opto-mechanical design consisting of two off-axis parabola (OAP) relays in series, which eliminates field distortion and also significantly simplifies the designs of the LGS wavefront sensors, optical source simulators, and turbulence generator subsystem. The design of the LGSF has also been interated, and has been simplfied by the relocation of the (smaller, gravity invarient) laser systems to the telescope elevation journal.

Protoyping activities continue for laser systems, wavefront sensing detectors, and deformable mirrors; work on the associated detector and deformable mirror electronics has also been initiated. AO Performance estimates and error budgets have been further detailed. Some of the modeling topics which have received particular attention include turbulence (Cn2) profile estimation from LGS WFS measurements, sodium layer range tracking, PSF reconstruction for multi-conjugate AO, LGS fratricide, astrometry at the galactic center, and further optimizing sky coverage and the peformance of the tip/tilt and low-order NGS mode control loops. Finally, experiments and field tests continue at the University of British Columbia LIDAR facility to measure the spatial and temporal variability of the sodium layer, and to characterize the sodium coupling efficiency of candidate laser systems for TMT.

Extreme is the new normal: lessons from 8-m ExAO for ELT regular AO

Bruce MACINTOSH, Jean-Luc BEUZIT — 2011-06-15T08:23:51Z

Submitted by B. Macintosh

Authors

B. Macintosh (1), J.-L. Beuzit (2)

Affiliations

(1) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, (2) IPAG

Abstract

The first true extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) instruments for 8-m telescopes are nearing completion - SPHERE for the Very Large Telescope, and the Gemini Planet Imager for Gemini South. With N=40 to 44 subapertures across the telescope, these high-performance systems represent an important step towards the N=60+ systems that will be needed for general-purpose AO on ELTs. GPI and SPHERE each incorporate many key technologies - high-density deformable mirrors, computationally efficient advanced wavefront control algorithms, zero-noise CCDs, multi-stage wavefront correction, new calibration algorithms, etc. - that will have to be incoprorated into the ELT facilities. We will review these features and the status of the two instruments, and the lessons learned for the design of ELT AO, both normal and extreme

LBT AO on-sky results

Simone ESPOSITO — 2009-02-28T23:00:00Z

Submitted by Simone ESPOSITO

Authors

S. Esposito, A. Riccardi, L. Fini, E. Pinna, A. Puglisi, F. Quiros, M. Xompero, R. Briguglio, L. Busoni, P. Stefanini, C. Arcidiacono. G. Brusa (*), D. Miller (*)

Affiliations

INAF/Arcetri (*) LBTO

Abstract

The first LBT natural Guide Star Adaptive Optics system (FLAO#1) has been commissioned between May 2010 and June 2011. The system uses two key components namely the adaptive secondary mirror with 672 actuators and the pyramid sensor with up to 30x30 subapertures. During on sky commissioning the system reached very high performance for an 8m class telescope. FWHM of 40mas and Strehl ratio higher than 90% have been measured in H band images together with contrast as high as 10^-4 at 0.4 arcsec off axis.The paper describes the results achieved during commissioning. The scaling of these results to the ELT case will be briefly discussed.

Towards MOAO on the ELT: the CANARY program

Eric GENDRON — 2009-02-28T23:00:00Z

Submitted by Eric GENDRON

Authors

E. Gendron, T. Morris, F. Vidal, A. Basden, M. Brangier, Z. Hubert, R. Myers, G. Rousset, F. Chemla, A. Longmore, T. Butterley, N. Dipper, C. Dunlop, D. Geng, D. Gratadour, D. Henry, P. Laporte, N. Looker, D. Perret, A. Sevin, G. Talbot, E. Younger

Affiliations

Observatoire de Paris (France), Durham University (UK), UKATC (UK)

Abstract

From the very early concept presented in 2001 at the Venice conference 'Beyond Conventional AO', to the first on-sky MOAO prototype systems, exactly 10 years have elapsed. End of 2010, the pathfinder instrument called Canary obtained the first open-loop, tomographically compensated images on the WHT. What were the challenges, and what was demonstrated ? How long will it take for real astronomical MOAO system to be installed on an ELT, and what will be the future steps ? We present the Canary program, and discuss how these achievement contribute to build the future MOAO systems of the ELT.