M. Hart (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), S. Rabien (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), L. Busoni (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri), L. Barl (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), U. Beckmann (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie), M. Bonaglia (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri), Y. Boose (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), J. L.Borelli (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie), T. Bluemchen (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie), L. Carbonaro (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri), C. Connot (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie), M. Deysenroth (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), R. Davies (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), O. Durney (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), M. Elberich (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie), T. Ertl (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), S. Esposito (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri), W. Gaessler (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie), V. Gasho (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), H. Gemperlein (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), P. Hubbard (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), S. Kanneganti (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), M. Kulas (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie), K. Newman (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), J. Noenickx (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), G. Orban de Xivry (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), D. Peter (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie), A.Quirrenbach (Landessternwarte), M. Rademacher (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), C. Schwab (Landessternwarte), J. Storm (Astrophysikalisches Institut), V. Vaitheeswaran (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona), G. Weigelt (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie), J. Ziegleder (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik)
Keywords: ARGOS, laser, adaptive optics
Abstract:
ARGOS, the laser-guided adaptive optics system for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), is now under construction at the telescope. By correcting atmospheric turbulence close to the telescope, the system is designed to deliver high resolution near infrared images over a field of 4 arc minute diameter. ARGOS is motivated by a successful prototype multi-laser guide star system on the 6.5 m MMT telescope, results from which are presented in this paper. At the LBT, each side of the twin 8.4 m aperture is being equipped with three Rayleigh laser guide stars derived from six 18 W pulsed green lasers and projected into two triangular constellations matching the size of the corrected field. The returning light is to be detected by wavefront sensors that are range gated within the seeinglimited depth of focus of the telescope. Wavefront correction will be introduced by the telescopes deformable secondary mirrors driven on the basis of the average wavefront errors computed from the respective guide star constellation. Measured atmospheric turbulence profiles from the site lead us to expect that by compensating the ground-layer turbulence, ARGOS will deliver median image quality of about 0.2 arc sec in the near infrared bands. This will be exploited by a pair of multi-object near-IR spectrographs, LUCI1 and LUCI2, each with 4 arc minute field already operating on the telescope. In future, ARGOS will also feed two interferometric imaging instruments, the LBT Interferometer operating in the thermal infrared, and LINC-NIRVANA, operating at visible and near infrared wavelengths. Together, these instruments will offer very broad spectral coverage at the diffraction limit of the LBTs combined aperture, 23 m in size.
Date of Conference: September 13-16, 2011
Track: Poster