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已经彻底改变了光学和红外波长的观测天文学，提供了显着更清晰的图像，图像在一定程度上校正了地球大气层的模糊效应。 这些更清晰的图像使一系列新的科学成为可能，并提高了许多种观测的效率。 传统上，自适应光学的有益效果仅在天空上的稍微有限的视场上实现。 该项目将扩大这一范围，并提供更大的自适应校正的视野。自适应光学的新方法被称为地面层自适应光学（GLAO）。 它建立在最近的测量表明，在莫纳克亚山波前相位方差相关领域的至少半度。 这种方法是为了校正在接近地面时产生的波前像差。 现场调查数据表明，GLAO可以扩展到领域潜在的1平方度的范围内，或超过3个数量级大于经典的自适应光学系统。 大得多的自适应校正场加上高角分辨率的科学影响将使更灵敏和更有效的宽视场测量式项目成为可能，这些发展将产生经验和技术，这些经验和技术将影响未来设施级系统的GLAO系统的设计，包括那些将用于下一代30米望远镜的系统。 该项目将成为学生的训练场，无疑将以精美的图像激励公众。 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.