Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation of Adaptive Optics Systems for Extremely Large Telescopes

Understanding adaptive optic system behavior is crucial to the design efforts for large adaptive optics projects such as those envisioned for the next generation of “extremely large” (30-50 meter) telescopes.   This is a collaborative effort to develop the mathematical models and analytic methods necessary to make the key decisions in the designs of such systems.

High priority problems that are being addressed by the analysis and modeling effort:

1. Quantify the cone effect in the multiple-laser guidestar configurations
2. Mitigate for the Laser Guide Star spot elongation
3. Correct for the optical aberration of the laser guide star light in the AO relay optics
4. Develop accurate and rapidly computable tomographic reconstruction algorithms

More details and hyperlinks are given on the project status web page.

Participating Institutions:

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Donald Gavel)
• University of California, Santa Cruz (Jerry Nelson)
• California Institute of Technology (Rich Dekany)
• Gemini Observatory (Brent Ellerbroek)
• Montana State University, Bozeman (Curt Vogel)