A sharp future for the 3.6-m DOT? The power of adaptive optics for medium size telescopes
Gilles Orban de Xivry,
Space sciences, Technologies, and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute, Université de Liège, Allée du Six Août 19c, 4000 Sart-Tilman, Belgium
Olivier Absil,
Space sciences, Technologies, and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute, Université de Liège, Allée du Six Août 19c, 4000 Sart-Tilman, Belgium
Vincent Moreau,
Advanced Mechanical and Optical System (AMOS), rue des Chasseurs Ardennais 2, 4031 Angleur, Belgium
Abstract
Adaptive optics (AO), by compensating in real time the blurring due to atmospheric turbulence, improves the angular resolution and the sensitivity of ground-based telescopes. AO represents an opportunity for medium size telescopes to be competitive with respect to large and very large observatories. AO can be beneficial for most scientific cases and – we think – reachable with a reasonable effort. In this contribution, we review the current state of adaptive optics in medium size telescopes, discuss promising avenues and present a possible science case for the DOT. In the second part, we present the relevant expertise we are currently building up in Liège in the framework of the SALTO project, a 1-m telescope demonstrator with laser guided adaptive optics.
Keywords : adaptive optics, medium size telescopes, laser guide star, demonstrator, Devasthal optical telescope
Om dit artikel te citeren:
Gilles Orban de Xivry, Olivier Absil & Vincent Moreau, «A sharp future for the 3.6-m DOT? The power of adaptive optics for medium size telescopes», Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège [En ligne], Volume 88 - Année 2019, Actes de colloques, 2nd Belgo-Indian Network for Astronomy & Astrophysics (BINA) workshop - October 2018 - Brussels, Belgium, 55-64 URL : http://popups.ulg.be/0037-9565/index.php?id=8658.
