A robotic telescope for rapid astronomical observations and demonstration of hybrid adaptive optics

用于快速天文观测和混合自适应光学演示的机器人望远镜

• 批准号: 1712014
• 负责人: Christoph Baranec
• 金额: $ 93.1万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1712014&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: robotic; telescope; rapid; astronomical; observations

Adaptive optics is a method of correcting telescope images for distortion caused by the Earth's atmosphere. This technology enables ground-based astronomical telescopes to achieve resolutions otherwise obtainable only from space. In this project, Baranec and collaborators build upon their highly successful precursor, Robo-AO, to deploy a second robotic adaptive optics system. Innovations and upgrades will enable this new system to detect tens of thousands of astronomical objects per year and respond within minutes to unexpected discoveries. It will be deployed at the University of Hawaii 2.2. m telescope on Mauna Kea, one the world's best observing sites. It will inform development of adaptive optics on larger astronomical telescopes and provide training for students including underrepresented groups.This current instrument will have several notable improvements over the previous design. It will use a Selex Avalanche Photodiode Infrared Array (SAPHIRA) IR detector, whose development for adaptive optics is being independently supported by NSF. Other upgrades will include a deformable mirror with more actuators (MEMS device from Boston Micromachines), and a UV laser guide star system. The UV laser simplifies scheduling observations because it is not a safety threat to aircraft. This project will demonstrate the hybrid-AO technique in which wavefront sensing of the laser guide star is used to improve the faintness limits obtainable with simultaneous sensing of natural guide stars. This innovation greatly increases the on-sky availability of suitable targets for adaptive optics astronomical observations.

自适应光学是一种校正望远镜图像由地球大气引起的失真的方法。这项技术使地面天文望远镜能够达到原本只能从太空获得的分辨率。在这个项目中，Baranec和合作者在他们非常成功的前身Robo-AO的基础上，部署了第二个机器人自适应光学系统。创新和升级将使这一新系统能够每年探测数万个天文物体，并在几分钟内对意外发现做出反应。它将部署在夏威夷大学2.2。M望远镜在莫纳克亚，世界上最好的观测点之一。它将为大型天文望远镜的自适应光学的发展提供信息，并为包括代表性不足群体在内的学生提供培训。目前的仪器将比以前的设计有几个显着的改进。它将使用SELEX雪崩光电二极管红外阵列(SAPHIRA)红外探测器，其自适应光学的开发由NSF独立支持。其他升级将包括一个带有更多致动器的可变形镜(波士顿微机械公司的MEMS设备)，以及一个紫外线激光导星系统。紫外线激光简化了观测计划，因为它不会对飞机的安全构成威胁。这个项目将展示混合声光技术，其中激光导星的波前探测被用来改善通过同时探测自然导星而获得的模糊极限。这一创新极大地增加了适用于自适应光学天文观测的目标的空中可用性。

项目成果

A New Dark Vortex on Neptune

海王星上的新黑暗漩涡

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aaa6d6
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: The Astronomical Journal
• 作者: Wong, Michael H.;Tollefson, Joshua;Hsu, Andrew I.;Pater, Imke de;Simon, Amy A.;Hueso, Ricardo;Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín;Sromovsky, Lawrence;Fry, Patrick;Luszcz-Cook, Statia
• 通讯作者: Luszcz-Cook, Statia

Large Adaptive Optics Survey for Substellar Objects around Young, Nearby, Low-mass Stars with Robo-AO

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ac0445
• 发表时间: 2021-05
• 期刊: The Astronomical Journal
• 作者: M. Salama;J. Ou;C. Baranec;Michael C. Liu;B. Bowler;P. Barnes;Morgan B. Bonnet;M. Chun;D. Du

The Robo-AO-2 facility for rapid visible/near-infrared AO imaging and the demonstration of hybrid techniques

用于快速可见/近红外 AO 成像和混合技术演示的 Robo-AO-2 设施

• DOI: 10.1117/12.2312835
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Adaptive Optics System VI
• 作者: Baranec, Christoph;Chun, Mark;Hall, Donald;Connelley, Michael;Hodapp, Klaus;Huber, Daniel;Liu, Michael;Magnier, Eugene;Meech, Karen;Takamiya, Marianne
• 通讯作者: Takamiya, Marianne