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U.S. Department of Energy
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Image improvement from a sodium-layer laser guide star adaptive optics system

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/305943· OSTI ID:305943

A sodium-layer laser guide star beacon with high-order adaptive optics at Lick Observatory produced a factor of 2.4 intensity increase and a factor of 2 decrease in full width at half maximum for an astronomical point source, compared with image motion compensation alone. Image full widths at half maximum were identical for laser and natural guide stars (0.3 arc seconds). The Strehl ratio with the laser guide star was 65% of that with a natural guide star. This technique should allow ground-based telescopes to attain the diffraction limit, by correcting for atmospheric distortions.

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:
305943
Report Number(s):
UCRL-ID--126000; ON: DE98057921; BR: YN0100000; CNN: W-7405-Eng-48
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English