The four tables below (last updated 2004) list:

• Current AO systems (in decreasing order of telescope size)
• Planned AO systems
• AO systems no longer in use

Click on the AO system name to reach its page. For links to the home pages of individual science instruments, click here.

Please send comments to crb@ing.iac.es

Current AO systems
Telescope, AO system	Instrumentation	DM, optics	WFS	Performance, throughput etc.	LGS status	Notes
Keck-I 9.8-m AO system (Nasmyth, on fixed bench) 2000 -	JHK imaging (KCAM) JHKLM spec (NIRSPEC)	349-actuator Xinetics DM Tel primary mirror is segmented	Shack-Hartmann MIT/LL 64*63 pixels < 670 Hz	Best strehl 0.5	LGS loop closed 2003, 15-20W NaD, pulsed, broadband	Remote observing from Waimea
Subaru 8.3-m AO system (Cassegrain) 2000 -	IR imaging JHKL IR spec (IRCS) Coronog (CIAO)	36-actuator biomorph DM Separate TT mirror	Curvature-sensing 36 APDs Subaps 2"	Best K strhel 0.4, isoplan diam 1' Not diff-limited in J,H	4-W Na LGS planned ~ 2006 (launch from back of secondary)	Upgrade to 188-element (curv-sensing) system 2005
VLT4 8.2-m NAOS (2000 - ) (Nasmyth, on rotator) 2001 -	Opt/IR imaging/spec + coronog (CONICA) to 3.5 micron	185-actuator DM	Shack-Hartmann Choice of opt or IR WFS Subaps 2 - 5" < 440 Hz	Best K strehl ~ 0.6 Vgs < 17	Na LGS planned 2004, 1e6 phot/m^2/sec return, > 6W launch, 4 lines over 500 MHz
VLT 8.2-m MACAO	One AO system on each tel for VLTI		60-element curvature sensing	Best K strehl ~ 0.5, fov 2'	Na LGS planned 2004
Gemini-N 8.1-m ALTAIR (Cassegrain)	IR JHK imaging (NIRI) Later, GMOS and GNIRS also	177-actuator DM conj. to turb. layer at 6.5 km Separate TT mirror	Shack-Hartmann 12*12 subaps < 1 kHz Field stop 3"	Best strehl 0.6, typically 0.2 in H, K Throughput 0.9, emiss. < 0.2 NIRI has 22" fov Designed for seeing < 0.5"	10-20 W Na LGS planned 2004
MMT 6.5-m MMTAO 2002 -	IR imaging + spec (ARIES) Mid-IR imaging (MIRAC3-BLINC)	336-actuator secondary mirror		Best strehl 0.2, emissivity ~ 8%
Palomar 5.1-m PALAO 1999 -	JHK imaging + grsim (PHARO)		Shack-Hartmann < 500 Hz	Best strehl 0.7, typically 0.2 - 0.3 Vgs < 13.5	Planned
Telescope, AO system	Instrumentation	DM, optics	WFS	Performance, throughput etc.	LGS status	Notes
WHT 4.2-m NAOMI (Nasmyth, on fixed bench) 2001 -	IR JHK imaging (INGRID) Optical IFU spec (OASIS) Coronog (OSCA)	76-element Thermotrex DM (fully segmented) Separate TT mirror	Shack-Hartmann Subaps 1 - 4" < 300 Hz Zonal correction Field stop 2.5"	Diff.-limited in J, H, K; useful correction in R, I	25-W 523-nm Rayleigh LGS planned
CFHT 3.6-m PUEO (Cassegrain) 1996 -	JHK imaging (KIR) K-band IFU spec (GriF)	19-actuator bimorph DM	Curvature sensing			Upgrade plan (of 2002) for 104 actuators
APO (ARC) 3.5-m ChAOS	ZJHK imaging (ChAOS CAM)	87-actuator DM			LANL Na laser expts
Calar Alto 3.5-m ALFA (Cassegrain) 1996 -	IR imaging (Omega-Cass)	97-actuator Xinetics DM + TT mirror	Shack-Hartmann MIT/LL 7*7 pixels/subap Modal correction	Best K strehl 0.4 Vgs < 14	Ar-ion pumped dye laser LGS loop closed 1997, LGS decommissioned 2000
TNG 3.5-m AdOpt (Nasmyth, on rotator)	IR imager JHK (NICS)	97-actuator Xinetics DM + TT mirror	Pyramidal (or 4-APDs + ShackH) < 100 Hz	Vgs < 13.5 for TT		Only TT currently offered
Starfire 3.5-m SOR		150-element DM			LGS (developed on 1.5m)	Principally for satellite tracking (military)
Lick 3.0-m AO system	JHK imaging + spectroscopy (IRCAL)	61-element DM			10-W Na LGS offered to observers
Mt. Wilson 2.5-m UnISIS (dead link?) (Coude)	Imager + coron.	13*13 element Thermotrex DM (segmented)			50-W 351-nm excimer UV Rayleigh LGS at 18 km, tests from 2001
U. Hawaii 2.2-m AO system		13-element DM

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Planned AO systems
Telescope, AO system	Instrumentation	DM, optics	WFS	Performance, throughput etc.	LGS status	Notes
OWL 100-m (focus after 6 mirrors)		81*81 DM				Advances in AO tech needed before OWL can be built
Euro50 50-m AO system
CELT / GSMT						CELT and GSMT projects are merging
GTC 10.0-m (Nasmyth) ~ 2006		Prob 329-element CIRAS, or Xinetics, 2 DMs planned	Shack-Hartmann		LGS maybe	PDR 2003
VLT4 8.2-m SINFONI (Cassegrain) 2004 -	IR JHK 3D spectrograph (SINFONI), fov 0.8 - 8" +		Curvature sensing 60-element, APDs 4-quadrant TT sesnor < 350 Hz loop	Goal: strehl > 0.5 in K	Na LGS planned 2005	AO system is MACAO clone
VLT MCAO demonstrator (MAD) late 2004		2 DM conj to ground and to 9 km	Layer-oriented WFS	1' corrected fov in K
VLT MUSE		One of DMs conj to pupil	32 * 32 subaps	Goal: double encircled energy	4 LGS + 1 NGS for 1' fov, 60% sky
VLT planet finder			Pyramidal WFS for high strehl
Gemini-S 8.1-m MCAO 2006?				1' fov	Multiple LGS + 1 NGS
LBT		Deformable secondary mirrors				AO on each tel, for interferometry
SOAR 4.2-m AOS		Poss deformable secondary			Rayleigh LGS planned

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AO systems no longer in use
Telescope, AO system	Instrumentation	DM, optics	WFS	Performance, throughput etc.	LGS status	Notes
MMT FASTRAC2 1995 -						First NGS AO?
Gemini-N 8.1-m Hokupa'a 1999 -		36-actuator DM	Curvature-sensing			Replaced by ALTAIR
ESO 3.5-m COME-ON (Coude) 1990 -		19-actuator DM, upgraded to 52 in 1992	Shack-Hartmann 20 subaps
ESO 3.5-m ADONIS (Cassegrain) 1994 -	JHK (SHARP-II) or LM (COMIC) imaging	64-element mirror + TT mirror	Shack-Hartmann
Starfire 1.5-m SOR					First telescope to use LGS (now on 3.5-m)	Principally for satellite tracking (military)