Adaptive optics design status of MAORY, the MCAO system of European ELT

TL;DR

This paper reviews the design and requirements of MAORY, the multi-conjugate adaptive optics system for the European ELT, focusing on wavefront error analysis and system trade-offs for optimal performance.

Contribution

It provides an updated analysis of AO architecture, error budget, and trade-offs, guiding the preliminary design of MAORY for the European ELT.

Findings

Wavefront error budget allocation identifies key error sources.

Statistical analysis links atmospheric conditions to AO performance.

Trade-off studies inform optimal AO parameter selection.

Abstract

MAORY is the Multi-conjugate Adaptive Optics RelaY for the European ELT aimed at providing a 1 arcmin corrected field to MICADO, a near-infrared spectro-imager with a focus on astrometry. In this paper we re-view the main requirements and analysis that justify the current adaptive optics architecture and subsystem requirements. We discuss the wavefront error budget allocation focusing on the worst offenders terms and on a statistical analysis of their dependence on atmospheric and sodium profiles. We present an updated revision of the trade-off studies on the main AO parameters that, along with considerations coming from optical and mechanical subsystems, are used to define the preliminary design of the instrument.