Ongoing and future AO projects at Subaru

Yoshito Ono, Yosuke Minowa, Etsuko Mieda, Christophe Clergeon, Olivier Guyon, Julien Lozi, Takashi Hattori

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper, we present our ongoing adaptive optics (AO) activities and future plans at Subaru Telescop toward the next 5-10 years and the extrem large telescope (ELT) era. AO188 has been operated since 2008 as a facility curvature-based single-conjugate AO (SCAO) system at Subaru Telescop. We are recently upgrading AO188 with recent technologies, such as real-time control software with high-performance computing technology, high-power TOPTICA laser system, and high actuator-count DM, to improve its AO performance and operability for the next 5-10 years. Also, a laser-tomography AO (LTAO) mode plans to be added to AO188 by installing additional 4 wavefront sensors (WFSs) behind AO188 to enhance the AO correction in visible wavelength. These upgrades are important also for development and validation of technologies toward the next facility ground-layer AO (GLAO) system at Subaru Telescope, called the ULTIMATE-Subaru project. The ULTIMATE-Subaru will develop wide-field near-infrared (NIR) instruments assisted by a wide-field GLAO correction to boost the wide-field capability of Subaru Telescope in NIR wavelength. The GLAO system will be driven by 4 laser-guide star (LGSs), 4 Shack-Hartmann WFSs, and an adaptive secondary mirror (ASM). The conceptual study of the GLAO system was completed in 201 is project and now we are going to move forward to the preliminary design phase. The first light of the ULTIMATE-Subaru will be at the Nasmyth infrared (NsIR) focus in 2025 and at the Cassegrain focus in 2027. In addition to these wide-field AO activities, we also are putting effort to high-contrast imaging capabilities with SCExAO, which is an extreme AO system (ExAO) placed behind AO188. SCExAO applies additional high-order correction after the AO188 correction and feeds diffraction-limited image to variety of modules in visible and NIR, optimized for a large range of science cases. SCExAO is also demonstrating new technologies, such as prediction control, sensor-fusion control, and high-speed control with GPU, toward future high-contrast imaging instruments for ELTs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
StatePublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes
Event6th International Conference on Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes, AO4ELT 2019 - Quebec City, Canada
Duration: Jun 9 2019Jun 14 2019

Conference

Conference6th International Conference on Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes, AO4ELT 2019
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityQuebec City
Period6/9/196/14/19

Keywords

  • Adaptive optics
  • Subaru telescope

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Space and Planetary Science
  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Instrumentation

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