Low-order adaptive optics and single-mode fibers in stellar interferometry

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Adaptive optical (AO) systems offer large gains in performance for many astronomical applications. We argue here that it is in stellar interferometry that a low-order AO system can be exploited most easily and with greatest effect. A key component in the utilization of partial adaptive correction in interferometers is the use of single-mode fibers to `filter out' the effects of the uncorrected wavefront aberrations. We show that, in addition to making visibility calibration independent of the spatial seeing fluctuations and of the performance of the AO system, fibers provide substantial gains in the signal-to-noise-ratio of fringe visibility measurements when compared with the same adaptive system without fibers. These gains are afforded in both the photon-rich and photon-starved regimes. We calculate the optimum aperture diameters to use with a given order of spatial correction.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: