Adaptive Optics Simulations for Siding Spring

TL;DR

This study uses observationally derived models to simulate adaptive optics performance at Siding Spring Observatory, evaluating various AO techniques across different telescopes, wavelengths, and seeing conditions, highlighting GLAO's promising results.

Contribution

First comprehensive simulation of AO performance at Siding Spring Observatory using observational turbulence profiles for multiple AO techniques and telescopes.

Findings

AO performs best at longer wavelengths (K-band).

GLAO provides uniform correction over a 180 arcsec field.

GLAO improves image quality from 870-1700 mas to 200-800 mas.

Abstract

Using an observational derived model optical turbulence profile (model-OTP) we have investigated the performance of Adaptive Optics (AO) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), Australia. The simulations cover the performance for AO techniques of single conjugate adaptive optics (SCAO), multi-conjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) and ground-layer adaptive optics (GLAO). The simulation results presented in this paper predict the performance of these AO techniques as applied to the Australian National University (ANU) 2.3 m and Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) 3.9 m telescopes for astronomical wavelength bands J, H and K. The results indicate that AO performance is best for the longer wavelengths (K-band) and in the best seeing conditions (sub 1-arcsecond). The most promising results are found for GLAO simulations (field of view of 180 arcsecs), with the field RMS for encircled energy 50% diameter (EE50d) being uniform and minimally affected by the free-atmosphere turbulence. The GLAO performance is reasonably good over the wavelength bands of J, H and K. The GLAO field mean of EE50d is between 200 mas to 800 mas, which is a noticeable improvement compared to the nominal astronomical seeing (870 to 1700 mas).