Design analysis and simulations for the Multiple Mirror Telescope's infrared adaptive optics system

Todd D. Groesbeck; Steven M. Stahl; David G. Sandler

doi:10.1117/12.217737

25 August 1995 Design analysis and simulations for the Multiple Mirror Telescope's infrared adaptive optics system

Todd D. Groesbeck, Steven M. Stahl, David G. Sandler

Proceedings Volume 2534, Adaptive Optical Systems and Applications; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.217737
Event: SPIE's 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

A new interim adaptive system—FASTTRAC IT—has been developed for near-infrared imaging for the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT), prior to upgrade to a single 6.5 m mirror. The system employs a real-time adaptive beam combiner consisting of six mirror facets which control the tip and tilt for each of the 1 .8 m primary mirrors. Since the overall piston of the mirrors is not controlled, the light from the six MMT mirrors adds incoherently at the focal plane, producing an image with the diffraction limit of a single mirror but with flux corresponding to a filled 4.5 m aperture. In operational mode the tilts over each of the 1.8 m mirrors will be sampled using a sodium laser guide star. Overall tilt is compensated using a field star imaged in the visible. We present a brief discussion of the various error sources entering into the system performance. Simulations of performance are presented showing the dependence on field star magnitude and angle. the time delay between sense and application of the required correction, and the angle between laser guide star and field position. These simulations demonstrate that FASTTRAC II should readily achieve diffraction limited imaging for a 1.8 m aperture with 6 times the light collection at near-infrared wavelengths.

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Todd D. Groesbeck, Steven M. Stahl, and David G. Sandler "Design analysis and simulations for the Multiple Mirror Telescope's infrared adaptive optics system", Proc. SPIE 2534, Adaptive Optical Systems and Applications, (25 August 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.217737

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KEYWORDS

Mirrors

Stars

Telescopes

Wavefront sensors

Adaptive optics

Atmospheric modeling

Infrared telescopes

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