Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics for Astronomy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

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2. Optical Effects of Atmospheric Turbulence

   • J. C. Dainty

   Pages 1-22

3. Adaptive Optics with Laser Guide Stars: Basic Concepts and Limitations

   • A. Quirrenbach

   Pages 23-50

4. The Physics of the Sodium Atom

   • E. J. Kibblewhite

   Pages 51-66

5. The Design and Performance of Laser Systems for Generating Sodium Beacons

   • Edward Kibblewhite

   Pages 67-88

6. Laser Guide Star Operational Issues

   • C. E. Max

   Pages 89-106

7. The Cone Effect

   • R. Foy

   Pages 107-123

8. Laser Guide Star Advanced Concepts: Tilt Problem

   • Roberto Ragazzoni

   Pages 125-146

9. The Tilt Problem — Multiwavelength

   • R. Foy

   Pages 147-168

10. Sky Coverage with Laser Guide Star Systems on 8m Telescopes

    • M. Le Louarn

    Pages 169-184

11. Ground Based Astronomy with Adaptive Optics

    • Stephen T. Ridgway

    Pages 185-217

12. Polarimetric Measurements and Deconvolution Techniques

    • N. Ageorges

    Pages 219-242

13. Measuring Asteroids with Adaptive Optics

    • Jack D. Drummond

    Pages 243-262

14. The Environments of Young Stars

    • T. P. Ray

    Pages 263-284

15. Distant (Radio) Galaxies: Probes of Galaxy Formation

    • Huub Röttgering

    Pages 285-308

16. Active Galaxies in the Local and Distant Universe

    • Cláudia S. Rola

    Pages 309-337

17. Back Matter

    Pages 339-340

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Adaptive optics allows the theoretical limit of angular resolution to be achieved from a large telescope, despite the presence of turbulence. Thus an eight meter class telescope, such as one of the four in the Very Large Telescope operated by ESO in Chile, will in future be routinely capable of an angular resolution of almost 0.01 arcsec, compared tot he present resolution of about 0.5 arcsec for conventional imaging in good condition.
All the world's major telescopes either have adaptive optics or are in the process of building AO systems. It turns out that a reasonable fraction of the sky can be observed using adaptive optics, with moderately good imaging quality, provided imaging in done in the near IR. To move out of the near IR, with its relatively poor angular resolution, astronomers need a laser guide star. There is a layer of Na atoms at approximately 90 km altitude that can be excited by a laser to produce such a source, or Rayleigh scattering can be employed lower in the atmosphere. But the production and use of laser guide stars is not trivial, and the key issues determining their successful implementation are discussed here, including the physics of the Na atom, the cone effect, tilt determination, sky coverage, and numerous potential astronomical applications.

• ASTER
• adaptive optics
• astronomy
• imaging
• laser
• optics

• European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile

  N. Ageorges

• Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, UK

  C. Dainty