Cn2 profile from Shack-Hartmann data with CO-SLIDAR data processing

TL;DR

This paper introduces CO-SLIDAR, a new method combining wavefront slope and scintillation correlations from Shack-Hartmann data to improve atmospheric turbulence profiling, validated with real binary star data.

Contribution

It develops a maximum-likelihood approach to extract Cn2 profiles by exploiting combined slope and scintillation data from SHWFS, enhancing turbulence measurement accuracy.

Findings

Successful retrieval of Cn2 profiles from real data

Demonstration of combined correlation method's effectiveness

Potential for improved turbulence monitoring

Abstract

Cn2 profile monitoring usually makes use of wavefront slope correlations or of scintillation pattern correlations. Wavefront slope correlations provide sensitivity to layers close to the receiving plane. In addition, scintillation correlations allow a better sensitivity to high turbulence layers. Wavefront slope and scintillation correlations are therefore complementary. Slopes and scintillation being recorded simultaneously with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS), we propose here to exploit their correlation to retrieve the Cn2 profile. The measurement method named COupled SLodar scIDAR (CO-SLIDAR) uses correlations of SHWFS data from two separated stars. A maximum-likelihood method is developed to estimate precisely the positions and intensities corresponding to each SHWFS spot, which are used as inputs for CO-SLIDAR. First results are presented using SHWFS real data from a binary star.