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Project description
Keck Precision Adaptive Optics (KPAO) is the W.M. Keck Observatory's long term strategy for development of next generation adaptive optics (AO) capabilities. KPAO will ensure the observatory's excellence in the field of astronomical AO and provide competitive capabilities well into the era of future 30-m extremely large telescopes (ELTs).
Technical summary (click to reveal/hide)
We envision KPAO to be not only a high performance AO system but also a
general purpose AO system. The lack of bright guide stars has already
forced the current generation of AO system from natural guide stars to
laser guide in order to access the greatest number of interesting
astronomical targets. Although the gains with single LGS will be
revolutionary these system are fundamentally limited by focus
anisoplatism to have wavefront errors of order at least 150 nm rms. In
addition other implantation errors will limit the current generation of
single LGS system to total wavefront errors of 250nm-350nm rms. For
KPAO we believe that the next great advance in high resolution astronomy
will be brought about by AO systems that have total residual wavefront
error budget of order 100 nm rms. The small error leads one to
consider AO solutions that use multiple laser guide stars, inorder to
limit focal anisoplatims to 40 nm rms.
In addition these systems must have large number of actuators to correct
the wavefront (order ~1000), several wavefront sensors with low noise
detectors and updates rates for order 1 KHz. Such a system represents a
step forward at but not beyond the current state of the art. To an
astronomer it is the quality of correction delivered to the final image
or spectrum that is of importance. As such the quality of the telescope
and the instruments must be consistent with the wavefront error goals of
the AO system.
While a wavefront error of 100nm rms will provide Strehl in the K band
of close to 0.9. The design group believes that the corresponding
compensation at H-alpha of a Strehl of 0.3 is also important. [more info]
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KPAO team
- Chris Neyman (AO scientist)
- Peter Wizinowich (optics group manager)
- Olivier Lai (KPAO science case, CFHT)
- Ralf Flicker (AO postdoc)
Documentation
Links marked [internal] point to DocuShare documents that require login and password.
KPAO related KAONs
Presentations
External links
Collaborations, AO simulation tools etc
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Project news & site updates
2005-08-29
New KPAO web site
KPAO has a new web page, please update your links and bookmarks. Our intention is to keep this web page up to date with developments in the project.
2005-08-29
Temporary Mission Statement
"Acqua alle funi" [ 1 2 ]
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Contact
For further information on KPAO, contact Chris Neyman at:
W.M. Keck Observatory
65-1120 Mamalahoa Highway
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743, USA
Phone: (808) 885-7887
kpao.php · Last Modified · 13/07/16 12:10