Image improvement from a sodium-layer laser guide star adaptive optics system

C. E. Max; S. S. Olivier; H. W. Friedman; J. An; K. Avicola; B. V. Beeman; H. D. Bissinger; J. M. Brase; G. V. Erbert; D. T. Gavel; K. Kanz; M. C. Liu; B. Macintosh; K. P. Neeb; J. Patience; K. E. Waltjen

doi:10.1126/science.277.5332.1649

Image improvement from a sodium-layer laser guide star adaptive optics system

C. E. Max, S. S. Olivier, H. W. Friedman, J. An, K. Avicola, B. V. Beeman, H. D. Bissinger, J. M. Brase, G. V. Erbert, D. T. Gavel, K. Kanz, M. C. Liu, B. Macintosh, K. P. Neeb, J. Patience, K. E. Waltjen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

172 Scopus citations

Abstract

A sodium-layer laser guide star beacon with high-order adaptive optics at Lick Observatory (Mount Hamilton, California) produced a factor of 2.4 intensity increase and a factor of 2 decrease in full width at half maximum for an astronomical point source, compared with image motion compensation alone. The image full widths at half maximum were identical for laser and natural guide stars (0.3 arc second). The Strehl ratio with the laser guide star was 65 percent of that with a natural guide star. This technique should allow ground-based telescopes to attain the diffraction limit, by correcting for atmospheric distortions.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1649-1652
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	277
Issue number	5332
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5332.1649
State	Published - Sep 12 1997
Externally published	Yes

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Max, C. E., Olivier, S. S., Friedman, H. W., An, J., Avicola, K., Beeman, B. V., Bissinger, H. D., Brase, J. M., Erbert, G. V., Gavel, D. T., Kanz, K., Liu, M. C., Macintosh, B., Neeb, K. P., Patience, J., & Waltjen, K. E. (1997). Image improvement from a sodium-layer laser guide star adaptive optics system. Science, 277(5332), 1649-1652. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5332.1649

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abstract = "A sodium-layer laser guide star beacon with high-order adaptive optics at Lick Observatory (Mount Hamilton, California) produced a factor of 2.4 intensity increase and a factor of 2 decrease in full width at half maximum for an astronomical point source, compared with image motion compensation alone. The image full widths at half maximum were identical for laser and natural guide stars (0.3 arc second). The Strehl ratio with the laser guide star was 65 percent of that with a natural guide star. This technique should allow ground-based telescopes to attain the diffraction limit, by correcting for atmospheric distortions.",

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T1 - Image improvement from a sodium-layer laser guide star adaptive optics system

AU - Max, C. E.

AU - Olivier, S. S.

AU - Friedman, H. W.

AU - An, J.

AU - Avicola, K.

AU - Beeman, B. V.

AU - Bissinger, H. D.

AU - Brase, J. M.

AU - Erbert, G. V.

AU - Gavel, D. T.

AU - Kanz, K.

AU - Liu, M. C.

AU - Macintosh, B.

AU - Neeb, K. P.

AU - Patience, J.

AU - Waltjen, K. E.

PY - 1997/9/12

Y1 - 1997/9/12

N2 - A sodium-layer laser guide star beacon with high-order adaptive optics at Lick Observatory (Mount Hamilton, California) produced a factor of 2.4 intensity increase and a factor of 2 decrease in full width at half maximum for an astronomical point source, compared with image motion compensation alone. The image full widths at half maximum were identical for laser and natural guide stars (0.3 arc second). The Strehl ratio with the laser guide star was 65 percent of that with a natural guide star. This technique should allow ground-based telescopes to attain the diffraction limit, by correcting for atmospheric distortions.

AB - A sodium-layer laser guide star beacon with high-order adaptive optics at Lick Observatory (Mount Hamilton, California) produced a factor of 2.4 intensity increase and a factor of 2 decrease in full width at half maximum for an astronomical point source, compared with image motion compensation alone. The image full widths at half maximum were identical for laser and natural guide stars (0.3 arc second). The Strehl ratio with the laser guide star was 65 percent of that with a natural guide star. This technique should allow ground-based telescopes to attain the diffraction limit, by correcting for atmospheric distortions.

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Image improvement from a sodium-layer laser guide star adaptive optics system

Abstract

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