UnlSlS adaptive optics system at the Mt. Wilson 2.5-m telescope

Laird A. Thompson; Scott W. Teare; Christopher R. Neyman; David G. Sandler

doi:10.1117/12.459161

7 February 2003 UnlSlS adaptive optics system at the Mt. Wilson 2.5-m Telescope

Laird A. Thompson, Scott W. Teare, Christopher R. Neyman, David G. Sandler

Proceedings Volume 4839, Adaptive Optical System Technologies II; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459161
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

A laser guided adaptive optics system called UnISIS -- University of Illinois Seeing Improvement System -- has been commissioned at the Mt. Wilson 2.5-m Telescope. The UnISIS laser guide star is created via Rayleigh scattering of 351 nm photons from a 30 W excimer laser. The laser guide star is focused at an altitude of 20 km above msl. The UnISIS adaptive optics system sits at the fixed f/30 Coude focus of the 2.5-m telescope while the 30 W excimer laser sits on the observatory ground floor. The collimated laser beam is projected first into the Coude room where it is converted to f/30 and projected into the sky off the 2.5-m primary mirror. We describe the practical experience gained in installing and commissioning UnISIS, and we present simulations of the expected system performance based on the characteristic C_n² distribution above Mt. Wilson.

Citation Download Citation

Laird A. Thompson, Scott W. Teare, Christopher R. Neyman, and David G. Sandler "UnlSlS adaptive optics system at the Mt. Wilson 2.5-m Telescope", Proc. SPIE 4839, Adaptive Optical System Technologies II, (7 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459161

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