Performance of the CFHT Adaptive Optics Bonnette

F. Rigaut; D. Salmon; R. Arsenault; J. Thomas; O. Lai; D. Rouan; J. P. Veran; P. Gigan; D. Crampton; J. M. Fletcher; J. Stilburn; C. Boyer; P. Jagourel

arXiv · astro-ph/9712196

Performance of the CFHT Adaptive Optics Bonnette

F. Rigaut·D. Salmon·R. Arsenault·J. Thomas·O. Lai·D. Rouan·J. P. Veran·P. Gigan·D. Crampton·J. M. Fletcher·J. Stilburn·C. Boyer·P. Jagourel

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Abstract

Extensive results from the commissioning phase of PUEO, the adaptive optics instrument adaptor for the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope, are presented and discussed. Analyses of more than 750 images recorded with a CCD and a near-IR camera on 16 nights in wavelengths from B to H are used to derive the properties of the compensated wavefront and images in a variety of conditions. The performance characteristics of the system are analyzed and presented in several ways, in terms of delivered Strehl ratios, full-width-half-maxima, and quantities describing the improvements of both. A qualitative description is given of how the properties of the corrected images result from the structure function of the compensated phase. Under median seeing conditions, PUEO delivers essentially diffraction-limited images at H and K, images with FWHM ~0.1" at J and I, and provides significant gains down to B, with guide stars as faint as R = 14. During good conditions, substantial gains were realized with guide stars as faint as R = 17. A simple user-interface and software which automatically and continuously optimizes the mode gains during observations makes the operational efficiency extremely high. A few astronomical examples are briefly discussed.

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F. Rigaut, D. Salmon, R. Arsenault, J. Thomas, O. Lai, D. Rouan, J. P. Veran, P. Gigan, D. Crampton, J. M. Fletcher, J. Stilburn, C. Boyer, P. Jagourel. 1997-12-15. Performance of the CFHT Adaptive Optics Bonnette. https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9712196

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