A fast tracking mirror for adaptive optics

A piezo driven tilt mirror was developed and built as one component of an image motion compensation system for a solar telescope. The bandwidth of the mirror with a diameter of 60 mm is about 1 kHz with negligible phase shift between input signal and mirror response up to 900 Hz. The tilt range is 1.6 mrad. Special care was taken to maintain the surface quality of the mirror to better than /15 after fixing it to the substrate.     

EIT: Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope for the SOHO mission

The Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) will provide wide-field images of the corona and transition region on the solar disc and up to 1.5 R above the solar limb. Its normal incidence multilayer-coated optics will select spectral emission lines from Fe IX (171 ), Fe XII (195 ), Fe XV (284 ), and He II (304 ) to provide sensitive temperature diagnostics in the range from 6 × 10⁴ K to 3 × 10⁶ K. The telescope has a 45 x 45 arcmin field of view and 2.6 arcsec pixels which will provide approximately 5-arcsec spatial resolution. The EIT will probe the coronal plasma on a global scale, as well as the underlying cooler and turbulent atmosphere, providing the basis for comparative analyses with observations from both the ground and other SOHO instruments. This paper presents details of the EIT instrumentation, its performance and operating modes.     

云南1m太阳塔真空封窗减反射膜的设计

云南1m太阳塔(YNST)[1]是一个真空结构的塔式太阳望远镜,依靠4块平板封窗玻璃把整个光学系统密封在真空系统中。封窗玻璃的引入,不仅会对太阳光有一定的吸收和反射,使来自太阳辐射的能量有一定的损失,并会形成杂散光,影响成像质量。本文讨论了这些影响。根据云南1m红外太阳塔科学指导委员会确定的工作波段的要求,设计了一种膜系设计方法,可以利用最少的膜系层数来达到需要的结果。并用一组材料进行了模拟设计实验,获得了较为理想的优化结果,在关键波长处显著减小了反射率,减少了杂散光的形成。这种设计方法很适合象太阳塔这种很宽的波段里面对一组波长有很高要求的设计任务,将大大提高光能利用率,具有重要的价值。     

一个巨型望远镜方案

提出一个有特色的巨型望远镜(FGT)方案．其主镜口径为30米，主焦比为1．2，由1095块圆环形子镜构成．采用地平式装置．光学系统包括Nasmyth系统、折轴(Coude)系统和一个大视场系统．提出一个由4个镜面组成的新的Nasmyth系统，在约10′的视场范围内像斑小于爱里斑，达到衍射极限．比传统的Nasmyth系统的衍射极限视场大得多．可在这样的大视场内同时作好几个小区域的衍射极限的观测．当由Nasmyth系统转换到折轴系统和大视场系统时，采用主动光学技术改变子镜的面形、倾斜和平移，产生一个新的主镜面形，使折轴系统和大视场系统都能得到很好的像质．大视场系统的视场直径25′，场曲轻微，并有可能校正大气色散．给出了子镜面形和位置的公差，并讨论了望远镜的装置和结构,方案中的特色和创新对未来大望远镜的研制有普遍意义．     

Simulation of a ground-layer adaptive optics system for the Kunlun Dark Universe Survey Telescope

Ground Layer Adaptive Optics (GLAO) is a recently developed technique extensively applied to ground-based telescopes, which mainly compensates for the wavefront errors induced by ground-layer turbulence to get an appropriate point spread function in a wide field of view. The compensation results mainly depend on the turbulence distribution. The atmospheric turbulence at Dome A in the Antarctic is mainly distributed below 15 meters, which is an ideal site for applications of GLAO. The GLAO system has been simulated for the Kunlun Dark Universe Survey Telescope, which will be set up at Dome A, and uses a rotating mirror to generate several laser guide stars and a wavefront sensor with a wide field of view to sequentially measure the wavefronts from different laser guide stars. The system is simulated on a computer and parameters of the system are given, which provide detailed information about the design of a practical GLAO system.     

Triaxial ellipsoid dimensions and rotational poles of seven asteroids from Lick Observatory adaptive optics images, and of Ceres

Seven main belt asteroids, 2 Pallas, 3 Juno, 4 Vesta, 16 Psyche, 87 Sylvia, 324 Bamberga, and 707 Interamnia, were imaged with the adaptive optics system on the 3 m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory in the near infrared, and their triaxial ellipsoid dimensions and rotational poles have been determined with parametric blind deconvolution. In addition, the dimensions and pole for 1 Ceres are derived from resolved images at multiple epochs, even though it is an oblate spheroid.     

膜圆顶及塔架对南极望远镜风载影响的仿真分析

为了充分利用Dome A地区绝佳的视宁度条件, 计划将南极望远镜安装在15m高的塔架上并使用轻质膜圆顶. 研究了在塔架和膜圆顶作用下风载对望远镜观测环境的影 响, 利用计算流体力学(Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD)分析了在10m·s^-1稳态风作用下,不同风向角、方位轴转动角以及镜筒转动角时,望远镜周围风速、湍动能的分布情况以及光程差的变化,同时研究了风屏对风速、湍动能的改善作用和带来的温升.结果表明,塔架和圆顶周围的风速与湍动能分布对风向的改变不敏感;迎风状态时望远镜附近的湍流分布与风速分布情况整体优于背风状态;当风速为10m·s^-1时,在距离风屏1m远、3m高的位置处风速降为来流风速的1/3至1/4,望远镜附近的平均温升值为0.044 K.     

Keck adaptive optics images of Jupiter’s north polar cap and Northern Red Oval

We present observations at near-infrared wavelengths (1-5 μm) of Jupiter’s north polar region and Northern Red Oval (NN-LRS-1). The observations were taken with the near-infrared camera NIRC2 coupled to the adaptive optics system on the 10-m W.M. Keck Telescope on UT 21 August 2010. At 5-μm Jupiter’s disk reveals considerable structure, including small bright rings which appear to surround all small vortices. It is striking, though, that no such ring is seen around the Northern Red Oval. In de Pater et al. [2010a. Icarus 210, 742-762], we showed that such rings also exist around all small vortices in Jupiter’s southern hemisphere, and are absent around the Great Red Spot and Red Oval BA. We show here that the vertical structure and extent of the Northern Red Oval is very similar to that of Jupiter’s Red Oval BA. These new observations of the Northern Red Oval, therefore, support the idea of a dichotomy between small and large anticyclones, in which ovals larger than about two Rossby deformation radii do not have 5-μm bright rings. In de Pater et al. [2010a. Icarus 210, 742-762], we explained this difference in terms of the secondary circulations within the vortices. We further compare the brightness distribution of our new 5-μm images with previously published radio observations of Jupiter, highlighting the depletion of NH₃ gas over areas that are bright at 5 μm.     

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．本文针对已经建立的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．本文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带宽选取及系统的极限工作星等．     

Figure of the double Asteroid 90 Antiope from adaptive optics and lightcurve observations

A long-term adaptive optics (AO) campaign of observing the double Asteroid (90) Antiope has been carried out in 2003-2005 using 8-10-m class telescopes, allowing prediction of the circumstances of mutual events occurring during the July 2005 opposition [Marchis, F., Descamps, P., Hestroffer, D., Berthier, J., de Pater, I., 2004. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 36, 1180]. This is the first opportunity to use complementary lightcurve and AO observations to extensively study the (90) Antiope system, an interesting visualized binary doublet system located in the main belt. The orbital parameters derived from the AO observations have served as input quantities for the derivation of a whole set of other physical parameters (namely shapes, surface scattering, bulk density, and internal properties) from analysis of collected lightcurves. To completely model the observed lightcurves, we employed Roche figures to construct an overall shape solution. The combination of these complementary observations has enabled us to derive a reliable physical and orbital solution for the system. Our model is consistent with a system of slightly non-spherical components, having a size ratio of 0.95 (with Ravg=42.9±0.5 km, separation=171±1 km), and exhibiting equilibrium figures for homogeneous rotating bodies. A comparison with grazing occultation event lightcurves suggests that the real shapes of the components do not depart from Roche equilibrium figures by more than 10%. The J2000 ecliptic coordinates of the pole of the system are λn=200°±2° and αn=38°±2°. The orbital period was refined to P=16.5051±0.0001 h, and the density is found to be slightly lower than previous determinations, with a value of 1.25±0.05 g/cm³, leading to a significant macro-porosity of 30%. Possible scenarios for the origin of the system are also discussed.     

应用于自适应系统的1.2m望远镜面形误差精细检测

为检测云南天文台１．２ｍ望远镜光学成像质量,在多种光学检测方法中,我们结合实际情况,详细地讨论了两种方案的可能性。并用美国ＺＥＭＡＸ光学设计软件设计了所需的光学辅助元件。第一种方案,将全口径分割成直径为３００ｍｍ的子孔径后,利用哈特曼传感器对每个子孔径的最后成像波面进行探测,得到波前畸变量。最后将所得到的子孔径波面合成得到全口径波面,进而分析系统成像质量。第二种方案采用补偿干涉法,利用设计的补偿器补偿主镜的法线象差,得到干涉条纹,再由干涉条纹分析得到主镜面形差。这两种方法都实现微机实时采样与处理,能以较快速度计算出最后结果。最后,我们讨论了检测过程中误差来源及精度分析。在实验条件满足的情况下,整个系统的测试精度优于λ／１０。     

Improvement in the performance of solar adaptive optics

Adaptive optics （AO）, which provides diffraction limited imaging over a field-of-view （FOV）, is a powerful technique for solar observation. In the tomographic approach, each wavefront sensor （WFS） is looking at a single reference that acts as a guide star. This allows a 3D reconstruction of the distorted wavefront to be made. The correction is applied by one or more deformable mirrors （DMs）. This technique benefits from information about atmospheric turbulence at different layers, which can be used to reconstruct the wavefront extremely well. With the assistance of the MAOS software package, we consider the tomography errors and WFS aliasing errors, and focus on how the performance of a solar telescope （pointing toward zenith） is related to atmospheric anisoplanatism. We theoretically quantify the performance of the to- mographic solar AO system. The results indicate that the tomographic AO system can improve the average Strehl ratio of a solar telescope in a 10＂ - 80＂ diameter FOV by only employing one DM conjugated to the telescope pupil. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of DM conjugate altitude on the correction achievable by the AO system by selecting two atmospheric models that differ mainly in terms of atmospheric prop- erties at ground level, and present the optimum DM conjugate altitudes for different observation sites.     

Pseudo-infinite guide stars for multi-conjugated adaptive optics on extremely large telescopes

We introduce a novel concept to sense the wavefront for adaptive optics purposes in astronomy using a conventional laser beacon. The concept we describe involves treating the light scattered in the mesospheric sodium layer as if it comes from multiple rings located at infinity. Such a concept resembles an inverse Bessel beam and is particularly suitable for multi-conjugated adaptive optics on extremely large telescopes. In fact, as the sensing process uses light apparently coming from infinity, some problems linked to the finite distance and vertical extent of the guide source are solved. Since such a technique is able to sense a wavefront solely in the radial direction, we propose furthermore a novel wavefront sensor by combining the inverse Bessel beam approach with the recently introduced z -invariant technique for a pseudo-infinite guide star sensor.     

Improving the seeing with wide-field adaptive optics in the near-infrared

In this paper, we present simulation results of a ground-layer correction adaptive optics system (GLAO), based on four laser guide stars and a single deformable mirror. The goal is to achieve a seeing improvement over an 8-arcmin field of view, in the near-infrared (from 1.06 to 2.2 μm). We show results on the scaling of this system (number of subapertures, frame rates), and the required number of tip-tilt stars. We investigate the use for GLAO of both sodium and Rayleigh guide stars. We also show that if the lasers can be repositioned, the performance of the adaptive optics can be tailored to the astronomical observations.     

GALACSI – The ground layer adaptive optics system for MUSE

MUSE, the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, is an adaptive optics (AO)-assisted Integral Field Spectrograph, currently in the Preliminary Design Phase as a second generation instrument for the VLT. MUSE will feature two modes, each with an associated AO mode. The first mode is the wide field mode, mainly aiming at the study of high redshift galaxies. For this mode, the AO system has to deliver an improvement of at least a factor of two over the full 1′ × 1′ field of view. The second mode, the narrow field mode, aims at the high-resolution spectroscopy of nearby extended objects, for example, galaxies and globular clusters. For this mode, the AO system will have to deliver near-diffraction limited performance over a small field of view. In this paper, we discuss the trade-offs in the current design of GALACSI – the MUSE AO system – and illustrate with a number of simulations the expected performance in the wide- and narrow field modes.     

利用GNSS测量射电望远镜参考点的仿真分析

高精度测量射电望远镜参考点和轴线偏差等参数,对建立天线指向模型和本地连接参数、提高测站坐标精度等具有重要意义。为完成新建射电望远镜参考点初始参考值的快速测定,根据望远镜的旋转模型,结合常规静态归心测量方法和随机动态测量方法,提出了一种利用GNSS天线代替测量靶标实现望远镜参考点测量的方法。通过仿真分析验证了该方法的合理性和有效性,并分析了数据点个数和数据点测量精度对天线参考点和轴线偏差解算精度的影响。     

Polarization Calibration of the Solar Optical Telescope onboard Hinode

The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Hinode aims to obtain vector magnetic fields on the Sun through precise spectropolarimetry of solar spectral lines with a spatial resolution of 0.2 – 0.3 arcsec. A photometric accuracy of 10⁻³ is achieved and, after the polarization calibration, any artificial polarization from crosstalk among Stokes parameters is required to be suppressed below the level of the statistical noise over the SOT’s field of view. This goal was achieved by the highly optimized design of the SOT as a polarimeter, extensive analyses and testing of optical elements, and an end-to-end calibration test of the entire system. In this paper we review both the approach adopted to realize the high-precision polarimeter of the SOT and its final polarization characteristics.