Wide-Field Ground-Layer Adaptive Optics Demonstrator

在过去的20年里，自适应光学的技术和方法通过提供显著更清晰的图像，在一定程度上修正了地球大气的模糊效应，使光学和红外波段的观测天文学发生了革命性的变化。这些更清晰的图像使一系列新的科学成为可能，并提高了许多类型观测的效率。传统上，自适应光学的有益效果只能在天空中有限的视野内实现。该项目将扩展该范围，并提供更大的自适应校正视场。新的自适应光学方法被称为地面自适应光学(GLAO)。它建立在最近的测量基础上，表明莫纳克亚上的波前相位变化在至少半度的场上是相关的。方法是对靠近地面产生的波前像差进行校正。现场勘测数据表明，GLAO可以扩展到范围可能为1平方度的领域，或比经典自适应光学系统大3个数量级以上的领域。大得多的自适应校正场和高角度分辨率的科学影响将使广域勘测式项目变得更加灵敏和高效。这些发展将产生经验和技术，将影响未来设施级系统的GLAO系统的设计，包括将用于下一代30米望远镜的系统。该项目将是学生的训练场，无疑将以精美的形象激励公众。该项目的资金由NSF的天文科学部通过其先进技术和仪器计划提供。

Over the last 20 years, the technology and methods of adaptive optics have revolutionized observational astronomy at optical and infrared wavelengths by delivering dramatically sharper images, images corrected to some degree for the blurring effects of the earth's atmosphere. These sharper images enable a range of new science, and enhance the efficiency of many kinds of observations. Traditionally, the beneficial effects of adaptive optics are achieved only over a somewhat limited field of view on the sky. This project will extend that range and deliver much larger adaptively corrected fields of view.The new approach to adaptive optics is called ground-layer adaptive optics (GLAO). It builds on recent measurements showing that wavefront phase variances on Mauna Kea are correlated over fields of at least half a degree. The approach is to correct for the wavefront aberrations that arise close to the ground. Site survey data indicate that GLAO can be extended to fields potentially 1 square degree in extent, or more than 3 orders of magnitude larger than those of a classical adaptive optics system. The scientific impact of much larger adaptively corrected fields coupled with high angular resolution will enabling dramatically more sensitive and efficient wide-field survey-style projects.These developments will produce experience and techniques that will influence the design of GLAO systems for future facility-class systems, including those that will be used on the next generation of 30-meter telescopes. The project will be a training ground for students, and will undoubtedly inspire the public with exquisite images. Funding for this project is being provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through its Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program.