Abstract

We describe the design and the early results of a feasibility experiment for sodium-layer laser-guide-star adaptive optics. Copper-vapor-laser-pumped dye lasers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation program are used to create the guide star. The laser beam is projected upward from a beam director that is located ~5 m from a 0.5-m telescope and forms an irradiance spot ~2 m in diameter at the atmospheric-sodium layer (at an altitude of 95 km). The laser guide star is approximately fifth magnitude and is visible to the naked eye at the top of the Rayleigh-scattered laser beam. To date, we have made photometric measurements and open-loop wave-front-sensor measurements of the laser guide star. We give an overview of the experiment’s design and the laser systems, describe the experimental setup, show preliminary photometric and open-loop wave-front-sensor data on the guide star, and present predictions of closed-loop adaptive-optics performance based on these experimental data. The long-term goal of this effort is to develop laser guide stars and adaptive optics for use with large astronomical telescopes.

© 1994 Optical Society of America

Sodium-layer laser-guide-star experimental results

K. Avicola, J. M. Brase, J. R. Morris, H. D. Bissinger, J. M. Duff, H. W. Friedman, D. T. Gavel, C. E. Max, S. S. Olivier, R. W. Presta, D. A. Rapp, J. T. Salmon, and K. E. Waltjen
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 11(2) 825-831 (1994)

Systematic design and analysis of laser-guide-star adaptive-optics systems for large telescopes

D. T. Gavel, J. R. Morris, and R. G. Vernon
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 11(2) 914-924 (1994)

Characterization of artificial guide stars generated in the mesospheric sodium layer with a sum-frequency laser

M. P. Jelonek, R. Q. Fugate, W. J. Lange, A. C. Slavin, R. E. Ruane, and R. A. Cleis
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 11(2) 806-812 (1994)

Two generations of laser-guide-star adaptive-optics experiments at the Starfire Optical Range

R. Q. Fugate, B. L. Ellerbroek, C. H. Higgins, M. P. Jelonek, W. J. Lange, A. C. Slavin, W. J. Wild, D. M. Winker, J. M. Wynia, J. M. Spinhirne, B. R. Boeke, R. E. Ruane, J. F. Moroney, M. D. Oliker, D. W. Swindle, and R. A. Cleis
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 11(1) 310-324 (1994)

Photometric observations of a polychromatic laser guide star

Renaud Foy, Michel Tallon, Isabelle Tallon-Bosc, Eric Thiébaut, Jérôme Vaillant, Françoise-Claude Foy, Daniel Robert, Herb Friedman, François Biraben, Gilbert Grynberg, Jean-Pierre Gex, Alain Mens, Arnold Migus, Jean-Marc Weulersse, and David J. Butler
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 17(12) 2236-2242 (2000)