Daniel Senft, Air Force Research Laboratory; Scott Hunt, Air Force Research Laboratory; T. Ryan Swindle; Air Force Research Laboratory; Nathaniel Morris, Boeing Laser Technical Services; Richard Holmes, Boeing Laser Technical Services; Edwin Walker, Boeing Laser Technical Services; Jacob Lucas, Boeing Laser Technical Services; Michael Abercrombie, Boeing Laser Technical Services; John Mooney, Boeing Laser Technical Services; Timothy Georges, Boeing Laser Technical Services
Keywords: Adaptive Optics, Artificial Beacons, Laser Guidestars, Imaging, Wavefront Compensation
Abstract:
On-sky testing of the continuous-wave (CW) sodium guidestar at AMOS involved collections from May 2017 to January 2019 and have been compared with theoretical expectations. Sodium-beacon photon returns were measured with wavefront sensors on the 3.6m AEOS telescope. In addition, launch telescope and main telescope transmission was estimated from earlier collections from stars. Detailed comparisons of sodium returns to theory properly account for atmospheric and optical transmission, sodium and laser linewidths, laser tuning to sodium line, laser polarization, population saturation, superflourescence, and geomagnetic field effects. Adaptive optics performance implications are discussed
Date of Conference: September 17-20, 2019
Track: Adaptive Optics & Imaging