2.16m望远镜红外自适应光学系统的误差和性能分析

在自适应光学系统中，波前探测器的噪声，未完全补偿湍流所引起的误差以及变形镜的拟合误差是主要的误差源，本针对已经建立２．１６ｍ望远镜红外自适应光学系统，从伺服控制系统的角度分析了该系统的闭环噪声，大气湍流引起的误差以及该系统的闭环总体误差，该系统的闭环总体误差是光强及系统闭环带宽的函数，本还分析了该系统的有效性以及对大气湍流不同改善程度情况下的光强与闭环带宽的关系，并在此基础上给出了该系统的最佳     

基于自然导引星的自适应光学系统非等晕性分析

采用波前各阶zernike成分孔径滤波函数方法,推导了当观测目标与信标不在同一方向时所产生的非等晕误差的表达式,同时利用该表达式进行了对自适应光学系统倾斜校正后的波前残余误差数值模拟.此外还首次对天文干涉仪中大气湍流活塞效应引起的活塞角非等晕误差进行了研究分析,为以后实际利用自适应光学校正工作提供理论参考.     

基于PCl-Express高速图像采集卡对扩展源大气倾斜量的实时补偿

为能够实时补偿大气湍流对月球激光测距带来的渡前倾斜量误差,采用相关跟踪自适应光学系统,并根据其大计算量、高实时性的要求,创新地设计了基于PCI-Express高速图像采集卡及其硬实时操作系统驱动程序,完成对扩展源目标大气倾斜量的实时补偿.详细介绍了整体系统的软硬件设计,给出了一种PCI-Express高速图像采集卡设计结果及其RTAI实时驱动程序的软件设计结果,完成了进一步提高图像传输速度,减小相关跟踪系统系统延迟,提高系统响应带宽的目标,最终实现了图像数据的实时传输(≤28 μS)及波前倾斜量的实时补偿(≤348 μS).     

大气湍流理论的进展及其天文学意义(英)

传统的大气湍流理论始于大约30年前．湍流理论的发展使得天文学家对大气湍流对天文观测的影响有了很好的认识，尤其是它为天文台选址和天文高分辨率技术提供了基础．近年来新的天文观测已对传统的大气湍流理论提出了挑战，并可能给地面天文观测带来一场革命．在回顾了大气湍流理论的发展历史后对传统大气湍流理论的基本特性及其应用作了系统的综述，并介绍了新的天文观测事实以及为此而提出的新的大气湍流理论模型．     

光学系统参数确定带宽约束的天文图像盲反卷积

大气湍流极大限制了地基大口径望远镜观测天文目标图像的空间分辨率.根据最大似然估计原理,提出了用实际光学带宽约束的可有效减小天文观测图像中大气湍流影响的盲反卷积方法,通过共轭梯度优化算法使卷积误差函数趋向最小.建立了望远镜光学系统参数和图像频域带宽的关系,采用变量正性约束、点扩散函数带宽有限约束,提高算法的收敛性.为避免图像处理中有效傅立叶变换频率超出截止频率,要求采集望远镜焦面图像时单个成像单元(如CCD像素单元)应小于四分之一衍射斑直径.算法中未用目标支持域约束,所提出的方法适用于全视场天文图像恢复.用计算机模拟和对实际天文目标双鱼座图像数据的恢复结果验证了所提出方法的有效性.     

基于帧选择和多帧降质图像盲解卷积的自适应光学图像恢复

自适应光学系统受观测条件与自身条件的限制,通常只能对受大气湍流影响的降质图像进行部分校正.提出一种基于帧选择与多帧降质图像盲解卷积的事后处理方法进行自适应光学图像高分辨力恢复.该方法通过帧选择技术筛选出合适的多帧降质图像参与迭代盲解卷积运算,不需要除正性限制外的任何先验知识,并已应用于云南天文台1.2m望远镜61单元自适应光学系统所观测到的星体目标图像恢复中.实验结果表明:该方法可以有效补偿自适应光学系统校正残差对图像的影响,恢复出达到衍射极限的图像.     

太阳表面米粒结构观测对比度分析

分析以观测系统焦面上和探测器测到的太阳表面米粒结构的对比度与观测系统口径，大气湍流相干长度以及系统探测灵敏度的关系，给出了不同口径，不同大气湍流相干长度以及不同系统探测灵敏度时的米粒结构对比值计算结果，此外还给出了实验结果。     

月球激光测距的新技术方法研究

月球激光测距是国内外所瞩目的宏伟目标，代表着单光子探测技术的高峰。本论文的目的是探索提高激光测月回波光子数的新方法，进而增加激光测月成功的几率。其思路是源于一个新的想法：在激光测月过程中引入大气波前倾斜量实时补偿的技术。首先介绍激光测月的现状和其难度所在：回波光子数太少，基本上属于亚光子探测范畴。在现有技术条件下，本文对影响激光测月回波光子数的因素逐一进行分析讨论，提出应该把激光束截面能量分布和大气湍流效应包括进去。为此分析讨论了大气湍流和大气中光场的基本统计性质、激光束在大气中传输时所受大气湍流的影响以及大气湍流对激光测距的影响，得出大气湍流特别对激光测月有着明显影响的结论。在此基础上对传统的激光测距方程进行了修正，使其应用到激光测月时更符合真实的情况，从而指导补偿的进行。涉及到在激光测月中对受大气湍流而畸变的激光束进行补偿，本文抓住重点，通过分析看出对大气倾斜量的实时补偿是提高激光测月回波光子数的重要因素。结合激光测月以及云南天文台现有测距系统的实际情况，本文独创性地提出利用激光测月目标近旁一定大小区域的扩展面源探测与计算大气倾斜量，然后对激光测月中的激光束进行大气倾斜量实时补偿的新技术方法。在分析比较各种从低对比度扩展源中计算大气倾斜量的算法后，本文认为采用绝对差分法最佳。最后是具体的激光测月的新技术方案，同时对此方法的理论与技术进行了分析讨论，推导出新技术方法的理论依据、补偿效果、可行性与实用性。     

实测中激光测距方程的完善

考虑望远镜存在跟踪随机抖动及大气湍流引起的光斑抖动等因素,推导出新的激光测距方程。采用数值模拟的计算方法,研究分析激光发散角、望远镜跟踪随机抖动和大气湍流引起的光斑抖动对回波强度的影响,得出望远镜跟踪抖动及激光发散角是影响测距系统性能的重要因素。     

大气湍流理论的进展及其天文学意义

传统的大气湍流理论始于大约３０年前。湍流理论的发展使得天文学家对大气湍流对天文观测的影响有了很好的认识，尤其是它为天文台选址和天文高分辨率技术提供了基础。近年来新的天文观测对已传统的大气湍流理论提出了挑战，并可能给地面天文观测带来一场革命。在回顾了大气湍流理论的发展历史后对传统大气湍流理论的基本特性及其应用作了系统的综述，并介绍了新的天文观测事实以及为此而提出的新的大气湍流理论模型。     

Phasing of segmented mirrors: a new algorithm for piston detection

The point spread function of a segmented-mirror telescope is severely affected by segment misalignment, which can nullify the performance of adaptive optics systems. The piston and tilt of each segment must be precisely adjusted in relation to the other segments. Furthermore, the direct detection of the alignment error with natural stars would be desirable in order to monitor the errors during astronomical observation.
We have studied the lost information of the piston error caused by the presence of atmospheric turbulence in the measurements of curvature, and present a new algorithm for obtaining the local piston using the curvature sensor. A phase-wrapping effect is shown as responsible for the loss of curvature information and so the piston errors can no longer adequately be mapped; this happens not only in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, but also in its absence.
Good results are obtained using a new iterative method for obtaining the local piston error map. In the presence of atmospheric perturbation, the turbulent phase information obtained from a Shack–Hartmann sensor is introduced in our new iterative method. We propose a hybrid sensor composed of a curvature sensor and a Shack–Hartmann sensor, in order to complete all the information for the phasing. This design takes a short computation time and could be used in real time inside an adaptive optics system, where tilt and piston errors must be corrected.     

SciMeasure Wavefront Sensor Cameras and their Application in the Palomar Adaptive Optics System

SciMeasure, in collaboration with Emory University and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has developed a very versatile CCD controller for use in adaptive optics, optical interferometry, and other applications requiring high-speed readout rates and/or low read noise. The overall architecture of this controller system will be discussed and its performance using both EEV CCD39 and MIT/LL CCID-19 detectors will be presented. This controller is used in the adaptive optics system, developed by JPL, for the 200′′ Hale telescope at Palomar Mountain. Early diffraction-limited science results, recently achieved by the AO system, are presented. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of NASA through SBIR contracts NAS8–97195 and NAS8–98081.     

Model of optical turbulence profile at Cerro Pachón

New measurements of optical turbulence profile at the Cerro Pachón observatory in Chile are analysed jointly with previously published data to model the variations of the intensity and thickness of the ground layer and free atmosphere under a variety of observing conditions. This work is motivated by the need to predict statistically the performance of ground-layer adaptice optics. We find that the ground-layer profile can be represented by a decaying exponent with a scale height of 20–40 m, increasing to 100 m under bad conditions. The zone from 6 to 500 m contributes typically about 61 per cent to the total integral, the latter causing a median seeing of 0.77 arcsec. Turbulence integrals in the ground layer and in free atmosphere vary independently of each other, in 50 per cent of cases they deviate by less than 1.8 times from their respective median values. The existence of periods with low turbulence in the free atmosphere and their importance for adaptive optics is stressed.     

Spada: An Array of Spad Detectors For Astrophysical Applications

Astrophysical studies require accurate, sensitive and fast detectors to detect faint sources with high variability. Recently an array of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD), SPADA, has been developed. This array is suitable for competitive adaptive optics operations and fast transient image acquisition at a fraction of the current cost of imaging arrays. The fabricated solid-state photon counters are rugged, easily integrated with the optics, free from readout noise, and have very fast frame rates (> 10 kHz, for visible corrections) with nanosecond electronic gating. In this paper, the following are described: the development of silicon monolithic arrays of 60 photon-counters, the detection electronics (based on integrated active quenching circuits for each pixel of the array), the real-time data-processing board implemented into FPGA and some aspects of the mechanical housing.     

Imagery in the Presence of Turbulence Using Slit Aperture Telescope With Partial Adaptive Corrections

The objective of this communication is to study and totest numerically the concept of partial adaptive correction with arotating Slit Aperture Telescope (SAT). After a brief summary of theprinciple of image reconstruction with the rotating SAT operating withoutthe atmospheric turbulence, we describe the simulations of imagereconstruction when a partial atmospheric correction is performed in onedimension only, along the long axis of the rotating SAT. Thereconstruction algorithm performs the inversion of the Radon transform.The SAT can use a small adaptive optics system with far fewer actuatorsthan conventional two-dimensional devices, but a relatively high degree ofone-dimensional correction is needed to recover a satisfactorytwo-dimensional image. The effect of additive noise on the reconstructedimage is also investigated.     

Adaptive Optics Image Restoration Based on Frame Selection and Multi-frame Blind Deconvolution

Restricted by the observational condition and the hardware, adaptive optics can only make a partial correction of the optical images blurred by atmospheric turbulence. A postprocessing method based on frame selection and multi-frame blind deconvolution is proposed for the restoration of high-resolution adaptive optics images. By frame selection we mean we first make a selection of the degraded (blurred) images for participation in the iterative blind deconvolution calculation, with no need of any a priori knowledge, and with only a positivity constraint. This method has been applied to the restoration of some stellar images observed by the 61-element adaptive optics system installed on the Yunnan Observatory 1.2m telescope. The experimental results indicate that this method can effectively compensate for the residual errors of the adaptive optics system on the image, and the restored image can reach the diffraction-limited quality.     

SciMeasure Wavefront Sensor Cameras and their Application in the Palomar Adaptive Optics System

SciMeasure, in collaboration with Emory University and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has developed a very versatile CCD controller for use in adaptive optics, optical interferometry, and other applications requiring high-speed readout rates and/or low read noise. The overall architecture of this controller system will be discussed and its performance using both EEV CCD39 and MIT/LL CCID-19 detectors will be presented. This controller is used in the adaptive optics system, developed by JPL, for the 200′′ Hale telescope at Palomar Mountain. Early diffraction-limited science results, recently achieved by the AO system, are presented. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of NASA through SBIR contracts NAS8–97195 and NAS8–98081. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

星像抖动的时域频谱

本文顾及湍流外尺度的影响导出了星像抖动频谱的普遍表达式，在均匀光路的情况下得到了分析表达式。理论结果与实验数据相当一致。同时讨论了测量星像抖动所需要的频带宽度以及有限带宽所产生的测量误差。     

European Solar Telescope: Progress status

In this paper, the present status of the development of the design of the European Solar Telescope is described. The telescope is devised to have the best possible angular resolution and polarimetric performance, maximizing the throughput of the whole system. To that aim, adaptive optics and multi‐conjugate adaptive optics are integrated in the optical path. The system will have the possibility to correct for the diurnal variation of the distance to the turbulence layers, by using several deformable mirrors, conjugated at different heights. The present optical design of the telescope distributes the optical elements along the optical path in such a way that the instrumental polarization induced by the telescope is minimized and independent of the solar elevation and azimuth. This property represents a large advantage for polarimetric measurements. The ensemble of instruments that are planned is also presented (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Adaptive optics parameters connection to wind speed at the Teide Observatory

Current projects for large telescopes demand a proper knowledge of atmospheric turbulence to design efficient adaptive optics systems in order to reach large Strehl ratios. However, the proper characterization of the turbulence above a particular site requires long-term monitoring. Because of the lack of long-term information on turbulence, high-altitude winds (in particular winds at the 200 mbar pressure level) were proposed as a parameter for estimating the total turbulence at a particular site, with the advantage of records of winds going back several decades. We present the first complete study of atmospheric adaptive optics parameters above the Teide Observatory (Canary Islands, Spain) in relation to wind speed. On-site measurements of   C ² _N ( h )  profiles (more than 20 200 turbulence profiles) from G-SCIDAR (Generalized Scintillation Detection and Ranging) observations and wind vertical profiles from balloons have been used to calculate the seeing, the isoplanatic angle and the coherence time. The connection of these parameters to wind speeds at ground and at 200 mbar pressure level are shown and discussed. Our results confirm the well-known high quality of the Canary Islands astronomical observatories.