Design, implementation, and on-sky performance of an advanced apochromatic triplet atmospheric dispersion corrector for the Magellan adaptive optics system and VisAO camera

Derek Kopon, Laird M. Close, Jared R. Males, Victor Gasho

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the novel design, laboratory verification, and on-sky performance of our advanced triplet atmospheric dispersion corrector (ADC), an important component of the Magellan Adaptive Optics system (MagAO), which recently achieved first light in December 2012. High-precision broadband (0.5-1.0 μm) atmospheric dispersion correction at visible wavelengths is essential both for wavefront sensing (WFS) on fainter guide stars, and for performing visible AO science using our VisAO science camera. At 2 airmasses (60° from zenith) and over the waveband 500-1000 nm, our triplet design produces a 57% improvement in geometric rms spot size, a 33% improvement in encircled energy at 20′ radius, and a 62% improvement in Strehl ratio when compared to a conventional doublet design. This triplet design has been fabricated, tested in the lab, and integrated into the MagAO WFS and the VisAO science camera. We present on-sky results of the ADC in operation with the MagAO system. We also present a zero-beam-deviation triplet ADC design, which will be important to future AO systems that require precise alignment of the optical axis over a large range of airmasses in addition to diffraction-limited broadband dispersion correction.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)966-975
Number of pages10
JournalPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Volume125
Issue number930
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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