UnISIS - Science Commissioning of a Laser Guide Star System

unisis是一种激光制导自适应光学系统，位于威尔逊山2.5米望远镜的库德焦点上。它为天文自适应光学中瑞利激光导星工作提供了一个独特的试验台。一项为期三年的计划已经确定，将使UnISIS通过科学调试阶段，并利用激光制导自适应光学系统进行一些首次深空天文观测。这些科学观察将是这项研究工作中最优先考虑的方面。此外，将通过比较理论模拟（包括大气湍流）和空中观测来分析UnISIS的性能。该分析应揭示以下因素的相对重要性：(1)变形镜拟合误差，(2)焦点各向异性（即激光导星锥效应），(3)时间采样误差，以及(4)波前传感器的信噪相关误差。由于威尔逊山天文台上空的大气提供了一些世界上最好的观测条件，因此科学观测和系统性能分析对其他自适应光学系统都具有普遍的应用价值。这项工作将通过美国国家科学基金会自适应光学中心资助一名博士后

AST-0096741Thompson, Laird A.UnISIS is a laser guided adaptive optics system located at the Coude focus of the Mount Wilson 2.5-m Telescope. It is unique in providing a test-bed for Rayleigh laser guide star work in astronomical adaptive optics. A three-year program has been defined to bring UnISIS through the Science Commissioning phase and to make some of the first deep-sky astronomical observations with a laser guided adaptive optics system. These science observations will be the highest priority aspect of this research work. In addition, the performance of UnISIS will be analyzed by comparing theoretical simulations (including atmospheric turbulence) with on-the-sky observations. This analysis should reveal the relative importance of factors such as (1) the deformable mirror fitting error, (2) focal anisoplanatism (i.e. laser guide star cone effect), (3) temporal sampling errors, and (4) signal-to-noise dependent errors at the wave front sensor. Both the science observations and the system performance analysis should have general application to other adaptive optics systems because the atmosphere above Mt. Wilson Observatory provides some of the best observing conditions in the world.This work will support a postdoctoral student through the NSF Center for Adaptive Optics.***