Abstract
Multiconjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) promises uniform wide-field atmospheric correction. However, partial illumination of the layers at which the deformable mirrors are conjugated results in incomplete information about the full turbulence field. We report on a working solution to this difficulty for layer-oriented MCAO, including laboratory and on-sky demonstration with the LINC-NIRVANA instrument at the Large Binocular Telescope. This approach has proven to be simple and stable.
Highlights
In the late 1980s, Beckers introduced the idea of multiconjugate adaptive optics (MCAO), a technique that could potentially increase the isoplanatic patch substantially.[1,2] The basic principle of MCAO is to use multiple stars measuring the atmospheric volume and correcting the turbulence using N deformable mirrors (DMs) conjugated to N layers
Star-oriented MCAO uses information from individual wavefront sensors (WFSs), one per star, to computationally estimate the wavefront corresponding to the conjugated layer via tomographic reconstruction of the full turbulence volume
Light from multiple stars are used by a WFS, which senses the wavefront for a particular conjugation altitude and drives the corresponding DM
Summary
In the late 1980s, Beckers introduced the idea of multiconjugate adaptive optics (MCAO), a technique that could potentially increase the isoplanatic patch substantially.[1,2] The basic principle of MCAO is to use multiple stars measuring the atmospheric volume and correcting the turbulence using N deformable mirrors (DMs) conjugated to N layers. Star-oriented MCAO uses information from individual wavefront sensors (WFSs), one per star, to computationally estimate the wavefront corresponding to the conjugated layer via tomographic reconstruction of the full turbulence volume. In contrast to star-oriented MCAO, layer-oriented MCAO uses one WFS per controlled DM. Light from multiple stars are used by a WFS, which senses the wavefront for a particular conjugation altitude and drives the corresponding DM
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