Atmospheric Turbulence Effects On Large Telescope Image Motion And Size

Fred F. Forbes; Neville J. Woolf

doi:10.1117/12.937975

3 November 1983 Atmospheric Turbulence Effects On Large Telescope Image Motion And Size

Fred F. Forbes, Neville J. Woolf

Proceedings Volume 0444, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes II; (1983) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.937975
Event: 1983 Astronomy Conferences, 1983, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

Astronomical seeing has been studied by measuring image size and motion using relatively small (~0.5 m) telescopes. These techniques have been successfully extended to telescopes in the 2-4 m class. For site survey investigations, it is desirable to use a compact telescope elevated such that seeing measurements are free of image degradation due to ground effects. The smaller instrument suffers from image degradation due to diffraction under the testing conditions of greatest interest, namely, sub-arcsecond seeing. Although image motion measurements can be extended to conditions of excellent seeing, it has not been demonstrated that small telescope images are representative of large telescope images with regards to image size or motion. In an attempt to understand image scaling laws between large and small telescopes, we have studied image motion and profiles for telescopes from 0.6 to 4.0 m in diameter under .seeing conditions extending from sub-arcsecond to several arcseconds. A model is presented in which image motion data taken with small telescopes can be used to predict image profiles that would be measured with a 15 m class telescope. We also consider the signal to noise aspects of measuring seeing by way of image motion and small telescopes.

Citation Download Citation

Fred F. Forbes and Neville J. Woolf "Atmospheric Turbulence Effects On Large Telescope Image Motion And Size", Proc. SPIE 0444, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes II, (3 November 1983); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.937975

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