Gemini MCAO Control System

TL;DR

The paper details the design and requirements of the Gemini MCAO control system, which manages complex adaptive optics components to achieve high-quality atmospheric correction over a 1 arc minute field.

Contribution

It introduces the architecture and preliminary designs for controlling a multi-conjugate adaptive optics system with real-time performance requirements.

Findings

Control system architecture for MCAO described

Preliminary designs for opto-mechanical control presented

Real-time adaptive optics control at 800FPS discussed

Abstract

The Gemini Observatory is planning to implement a Multi Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) System as a facility instrument for the Gemini-South telescope. The system will include 5 Laser Guide Stars, 3 Natural Guide Stars, and 3 Deformable mirrors optically conjugated at different altitudes to achieve near-uniform atmospheric compensation over a 1 arc minute square field of view. The control of such a system will be split into 3 main functions: the control of the opto-mechanical assemblies of the whole system (including the Laser, the Beam Transfer Optics and the Adaptive Optics bench), the control of the Adaptive Optics System itself at a rate of 800FPS and the control of the safety system. The control of the Adaptive Optics System is the most critical in terms of real time performances. The control system will be an EPICS based system. In this paper, we will describe the requirements for the whole MCAO control system, preliminary designs for the control of the opto-mechanical devices and architecture options for the control of the Adaptive Optics system and the safety system.