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The four tables below list:
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 |
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| 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 | |||||||
| 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 |
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| 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 | ||||||
| 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 |
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| 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) | ||||||
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