Adaptive Optics for Large Telescopes

大型望远镜的自适应光学器件

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-05245
• 负责人: Hickson, Paul
• 金额: $ 2.11万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=611522
• 关键词: Adaptive; Optics; Large; Telescopes

The next-generation of extremely-large ground-based telescopes (ELTs) will provide a huge leap in scientific capability and discovery potential. With adaptive optics, these telescopes will provide three times the resolution and as much as 100 times the sensitivity of the current ground-based and space telescopes opening new frontiers in fields ranging from the study of extra-solar planetary systems to the first objects forming in the distant Universe. As a partner in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Canadians will benefit directly from these advanced capabilities. Adaptive optics (AO), is key to the performance of all future large ground-based telescopes because it provides the means to cancel the blurring effect of atmospheric turbulence. Current AO systems are already providing impressive gains in resolution and sensitivity. The next-generation AO systems will require high-powered lasers and highly-sophisticated electromechanical and control systems. The lasers are used to illuminate sodium atoms in the upper atmosphere in order to produce artificial laser guide stars. These are used to sense the instantaneous distortion produced by the atmosphere, allowing the AO system to compensate for it. In developing these systems, it is essential to understand and characterize the distribution of sodium atoms. By equipping the 6-metre Large Zenith Telescope (LZT) with a pulsed laser and sensitive detector system, we have developed a sodium lidar (laser radar) system that produces data of unprecedented resolution and quality. I will use this facility to study and better understand the structure and dynamics of this important region of the atmosphere, and provide critical data that are needed for the design of the adaptive optics systems for extremely large telescopes. The LZT lidar facility also provides a unique opportunity to support the development of the AO lasers needed by the ELT projects. Such lasers must meet exacting requirements of power, beam quality, stability and efficiency. Their development requires an ongoing program of testing, evaluation and verification. At the LZT lidar facility, we are able to accurately measure properties of the laser and its launch telescope, such as the brightness and sharpness of the laser guide star. At the same time, the lidar provides simultaneous information about the abundance and distribution of sodium atoms. This allows the efficiency of the laser to be determined. This research program will support testing not only of lasers being considered for the TMT, but also for the European ELT. Canadians are participating, with the Université de Liège in Belgium and the Arayabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences in India, in a project to place a dedicated survey telescope at a Devesthal Peak in the Himalayas. The International Liquid-Mirror Telescope is a zenith-pointing 4-m telescope equipped with a 16-megapixel imaging camera. It will survey the strip of sky passing overhead night after night, searching for transient events such as supernovae and monitoring the variability of gravitational lenses. The design of the ILMT draws upon Canadian technology developed at the Université Laval and UBC and perfected with the LZT. I plan to assist with the commissioning and testing of the ILMT and participate in its scientific programs.

非常大的地面望远镜（ELT）的下一代将为科学能力和发现潜力带来巨大的飞跃。使用自适应光学元件，这些望远镜将提供分辨率的三倍，是当前基于地面和空间望远镜的灵敏度的100倍，从研究范围内开放了新的边界，从研究超极行星系统到遥远宇宙中的第一个物体。作为三十米望远镜（TMT）加拿大人的合作伙伴将直接从这些高级能力中受益。 自适应光学器件（AO）是所有未来大型地面望远镜的性能的关键，因为它提供了消除大气湍流效果模糊效果的方法。当前的AO系统已经在分辨率和敏感性方面提供了令人印象深刻的收益。下一代AO系统将需要高功率激光以及高度熟练的机电和控制系统。激光用于照亮上层大气中的钠原子，以产生人工激光导向星。这些用于感知大气产生的瞬时失真，从而使AO系统可以补偿它。在开发这些系统时，必须了解和表征钠原子的分布。通过为6米的大型天顶望远镜（LZT）配备脉冲激光和敏感探测器系统，我们开发了一种钠激光钠（激光雷达）系统，该系统产生了前所未有的分辨率和质量的数据。我将使用此设施来研究并更好地理解大气中这个重要区域的结构和动力学，并提供针对非常大型望远镜的自适应光学系统设计所需的关键数据。 LZT激光雷达设施还提供了一个独特的机会，可以支持ELT项目所需的AO激光器的开发。这样的激光器必须满足功率，梁质量，稳定性和效率的严格要求。他们的开发需要一个正在进行的测试，评估和验证计划。在LZT激光雷达设施中，我们能够准确测量激光器及其发射望远镜的性能，例如激光导向星的亮度和清晰度。同时，LIDAR提供了有关钠原子的抽象和分布的简单信息。这允许确定激光的效率。该研究计划将不仅支持对TMT的激光测试，还支持欧洲ELT的激光测试。 加拿大人参加了比利时的列盖大学和印度的Arayabhatta研究所，以将专门的调查望远镜放置在喜马拉雅山脉的发展山峰上。国际液体摩尔望远镜是配备16百万像素成像摄像头的Zenith点望远镜望远镜。它将调查夜间夜间经过头顶的天空条，寻找瞬态事件，例如超新星和监视重力镜头的变异性。 ILMT的设计利用了加拿大拉瓦尔大学和UBC的加拿大技术，并与LZT完美。我计划协助对ILMT进行调试和测试，并参与其科学计划。