[自然科学]Overview of Adaptive Optics.pdfVIP

Overview of Adaptive Optics Overview of Adaptive Optics Claire Max UC Santa Cruz March 12, 2003 Page 1 Outline of lecture Outline of lecture • What is adaptive optics and why is it needed? • What is adaptive optics and why is it needed? • The point spread function for astronomical • The point spread function for astronomical adaptive optics adaptive optics • What determines the specs of an AO system? • What determines the specs of an AO system? – Scaling to large telescopes – Scaling to large telescopes • Summary • Summary Page 2 Some good reference books Some good reference books • “Adaptive Optics for Astronomical Telescopes” by • “Adaptive Optics for Astronomical Telescopes” by John Hardy (Oxford Press, ‘98) John Hardy (Oxford Press, ‘98) • Principles of Adaptive Optics by Robert K. Tyson (2nd edition) (Academic Press, 1998) • Adaptive Optics in Astronomy edited by Francois Roddier (Cambridge University Press, 1999) • Adaptive Optics Engineering Handbook edited by Robert K. Tyson (Marcel Dekker, 2000) Page 3 Why is adaptive optics needed? Why is adaptive optics needed? Turbulence in earth’s atmosphere makes stars twinkle More importantly, turbulence spreads out light; makes it a blob rather than a point Even the largest ground-based astronomical Even the largest ground-based astronomical telescopes have no better resolution than an 8 telescope! telescopes have no better resolution than an 8 telescope!