Bringing SOUL on sky

TL;DR

The SOUL project enhances LBT's adaptive optics by upgrading SCAO systems with EMCCD detectors, enabling fainter guide stars and paving the way for future ELT systems with advanced technologies.

Contribution

This paper reports the first implementation and commissioning results of the SOUL upgrade, integrating pyramid WFS, adaptive secondary, and EMCCD detectors for improved AO performance.

Findings

Guide star limit improved to about 4 magnitudes fainter.

Successful daytime testing and initial commissioning results.

Demonstration of key technologies for future ELT AO systems.

Abstract

The SOUL project is upgrading the 4 SCAO systems of LBT, pushing the current guide star limits of about 2 magnitudes fainter thanks to Electron Multiplied CCD detector. This improvement will open the NGS SCAO correction to a wider number of scientific cases from high contrast imaging in the visible to extra-galactic source in the NIR. The SOUL systems are today the unique case where pyramid WFS, adaptive secondary and EMCCD are used together. This makes SOUL a pathfinder for most of the ELT SCAO systems like the one of GMT, MICADO and HARMONI of E-ELT, where the same key technologies will be employed. Today we have 3 SOUL systems installed on the telescope in commissioning phase. The 4th system will be installed in a few months. We will present here the results achieved during daytime testing and commissioning nights up to the present date.