Status of ARGOS - The laser guide star system for the LBT

Walfried Raab, Sebastian Rabien, Wolfgang Gaessler, Simone Esposito, Jacopo Antichi, Michael Lloyd-Hart, Lothar Barl, Udo Beckmann, Marco Bonaglia, Jose Borelli, Joar Brynnel, Peter Buschkamp, Lorenzo Busoni, Luca Carbonaro, Julian Christou, Claus Connot, Richard Davies, Matthias Deysenroth, Olivier Durney, Richard GreenHans Gemperlein, Victor Gasho, Marcus Haug, Pete Hubbard, Sebastian Ihle, Martin Kulas, Christina Loose, Michael Lehmitz, Jamison Noenickx, Edmund Nussbaum, Gilles Orban De Xivry, Andreas Quirrenbach, Diethard Peter, Gustavo Rahmer, Matt Rademacher, Jesper Storm, Christian Schwab, Vidhya Vaitheeswaran, Julian Ziegleder

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference proceeding contribution

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

ARGOS is an innovative multiple laser guide star adaptive optics system for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), designed to perform effective GLAO correction over a very wide field of view. The system uses high powered pulsed green (532 nm) lasers to generate a set of three guide stars above each of the LBT mirrors. The laser beams are launched through a 40 cm telescope and focused at an altitude of 12 km, creating laser beacons by means of Rayleigh scattering. The returning scattered light, sensitive primarily to the turbulences close to the ground, is detected by a gated wave front sensor system. The derived ground layer correction signals are directly driving the adaptive secondary mirror of the LBT. ARGOS is especially designed for operation with the multiple object spectrograph LUCI, which will benefit from both the improved spatial resolution, as well as the strongly enhanced flux. In addition to the GLAO Rayleigh beacon system, ARGOS has also been designed for a possible future upgrade with a hybrid sodium laser - Rayleigh beacon combination, enabling diffraction limited operation. The ARGOS laser system has undergone extensive tests during Summer 2012 and is scheduled for installation at the LBT in Spring 2013. The remaining sub-systems will be installed in the course of 2013. We report on the overall status of the ARGOS system and the results of the sub-system characterizations carried out so far.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThird AO4ELT Conference - Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings
EditorsSimone Esposito, Luca Fini
Place of PublicationFlorence, Italy
PublisherINAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri Largo Enrico Fermi
Pages1-8
Number of pages8
ISBN (Print)9788890887604
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes
Event3rd Conference on Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes, AO4ELT 2013 - Florence, Italy
Duration: 26 May 201331 May 2013

Other

Other3rd Conference on Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes, AO4ELT 2013
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityFlorence
Period26/05/1331/05/13

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