Feasibility experiment for sodium-layer laser guide stars at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Conference · Mon Mar 09 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:10131236

Max, C; Avicola, K; Bissinger, H; Brase, J; Gavel, D; Friedman, H; Morris, J; Oliver, S; Salmon, J T; Waltjen, K

We are developing a feasibility experiment to demonstrate closed-loop adaptive optics using a sodium-layer laser guide star. We will use the copper-vapor-pumped dye lasers developed for LLNL`s Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation Program to create the laser guide star. Closed-loop adaptive corrections will be accomplished using a 69-subaperture adaptive optics system on a one-meter telescope at LLNL. The laser beam will be projected upwards from a beam director approximately 5 meters away from the main telescope, and is expected to form a spot about a meter in diameter at the atmospheric sodium layer (at an altitude of 95 km). Details of the adaptive optics components and an analysis of the expected performance will be presented in companion papers for this Workshop. Here we summarize the overall architecture and system objectives. The long-term goal of our effort is to develop laser guide stars and adaptive optics for large astronomical telescopes.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 10131236
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC--109526; CONF-9203139--3; ON: DE93007115
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440600
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
661300
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BEAM OPTICS
DYE LASERS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
IONOSPHERE
LASER GUIDANCE
METAL VAPOR LASERS
OPTICAL INSTRUMENTATION
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
OTHER ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE
TELESCOPES