NSF/AFOSR Astronomy: Extending the Field of View of Adaptive Optical Telescopes based on Measurements of the Spatial Statistics of Turbulence and Post Detection Image Processing

Michigan Technological University, Houghton MI

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0123466 Roggemann, Michael C. This work will develop and validate a technique to derive long exposure Point Spread Functions as a function of Field of View using on-axis wavefront statistics measured at the Advanced Electro-Optical System adaptive optics wavefront sensor. The technique will use existing models of the well-characterized turbulence profiles at the Maui site on Haleakela. This approach, if demonstrated successfully, may lead to a new technique that will be an alternative to the more expensive and complex Multiple Conjugate Adaptive Optics systems planned for the future. It promises to be a useful tool for the entire astronomy community studying extended objects. ***