Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT
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Transcript of Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT
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Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT
Craig Mackay,
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
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La Palma & The WHT
• The LPO is one of the very best sites.
• The WHT is a good telescope, with negligible dome seeing.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
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La Palma & The WHT
• The LPO is one of the very best sites.
• The WHT is a good telescope, with negligible dome seeing.
• Competitive instrumentation essential to establishing a real niche.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 4: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
La Palma & The WHT
• The LPO is one of the very best sites.
• The WHT is a good telescope, with negligible dome seeing.
• Competitive instrumentation essential to establishing a real niche.
• Diffraction-limited imaging in visible will fit the bill.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 5: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Lucky Imaging: The Einstein Cross
• HST/ACS (Left image), Lucky Image on NOT (Right image).
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
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• Globular cluster M13 on the Palomar 5m.
• Seeing ~650 mas.
• Used PALMAO + our EMCCD Lucky Camera.
• With 30% selection, ~17% Strehl (I-band) ~40 mas resolution.
• Highest resolution image ever taken in the visible.
Large Telescope Lucky Imaging.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
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14 December 2007: U3A, King’s Lynn
• The Lucky/AO images resolve <40 mas, ~ 3 times Hubble.
Large Telescope Lucky Imaging.
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14 December 2007: U3A, King’s Lynn
Large Telescope Lucky.
(From Olivier Guyon, Subaru telescope.
• AO usually needs a bright reference star.
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14 December 2007: U3A, King’s Lynn
Large Telescope Lucky.
(From Olivier Guyon, Subaru telescope.
• AO usually needs a bright reference star.
• We are building a new kind of wavefront curvature sensor.
![Page 10: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
14 December 2007: U3A, King’s Lynn
Large Telescope Lucky.
(From Olivier Guyon, Subaru telescope.
• AO usually needs a bright reference star.
• We are building a new kind of wavefront curvature sensor.
• Much more sensitive than Shack-Hartmann sensors particularly for low-order.
![Page 11: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
14 December 2007: U3A, King’s Lynn
Large Telescope Lucky.
(From Olivier Guyon, Subaru telescope.
• AO usually needs a bright reference star.
• We are building a new kind of wavefront curvature sensor.
• Much more sensitive than Shack-Hartmann sensors particularly for low-order.
• Can work with reference objects x100-1000 fainter.
![Page 12: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
• A similar system can now be built now for the WHT.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
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• A similar system can now be built now for the WHT.
• Will allow a wide range of problems to be tackled that require >HST resolution in visible.
• Examples include globular cluster physics, quasar host galaxies, AGN studies, compact gravitational lenses, MACHO surveys in crowded regions and many others.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 14: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
• A similar system can now be built now for the WHT.
• Will allow a wide range of problems to be tackled that require >HST resolution in visible.
• Examples include globular cluster physics, quasar host galaxies, AGN studies, compact gravitational lenses, MACHO surveys in crowded regions and many others.
• Also works as high-time resolution instrument.
• Photon-counting CCDs allow limited fields at 1000Hz.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
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• Use a low-order AO system using a curvature sensor.
• On WHT would give resolution of 30-50 milliarcsecs in V to I-bands (HST is ~125 mas).
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 16: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
• Use a low-order AO system using a curvature sensor.
• On WHT would give resolution of 30-50 milliarcsecs in V to I-bands (HST is ~125 mas).
• Selection rate typically 30% to 40%.
• FOV 2000x2000, so 30x30 to 150x150 arcsecs.
• Require reference star of I~18, so ~90% sky coverage.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 17: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
• Use a low-order AO system using a curvature sensor.
• On WHT would give resolution of 30-50 milliarcsecs in V to I-bands (HST is ~125 mas).
• Selection rate typically 30% to 40%.
• FOV 2000x2000, so 30x30 to 150x150 arcsecs.
• Require reference star of I~18, so ~90% sky coverage.
• Already under development in Cambridge with STFC/PPRP grant.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 18: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
• Capital cost ~ £200K, plus ~£300K salaries.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 19: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
• Capital cost ~ £200K, plus ~£300K salaries.
• First light of basic system in 15 months.
• Complete in 24 months (user interface/reduction software is main effort).
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 20: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
• Capital cost ~ £200K, plus ~£300K salaries.
• First light of basic system in 15 months.
• Complete in 24 months (user interface/reduction software is main effort).
• Unique capability that really exploits the quality of the La Palma site.
• Opportunity for UK to take a world lead in the only way known to deliver diffraction limited imaging in the visible.
Lucky/AO Imager for the WHT.
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
![Page 21: Diffraction-limited imaging in the visible at the WHT](https://reader034.fdocuments.in/reader034/viewer/2022051402/568159a5550346895dc70331/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
22 March 2010: Science with WHT
Instrumentation Group Institute of Astronomy
University of Cambridge, UK